MD1 


Housekeeping  Notes 

Edited  by 
Mabel  Hyde  Kittredge 


HOUSEKEEPING 
NOTES 


HOW    TO   FURNISH   AND   KEEP 
HOUSE   IN  A    TENEMENT  FLAT 


A  SERIES  OF  LESSONS   PREPARED    FOR  USE  IN 

THE    ASSOCIATION    OF    PRACTICAL 

HOUSEKEEPING    CENTERS 

OF  NEW  YORK 


EDITED    BY 
MABEL   HYDE   KITTREDGE 


WHITCOMB   &   BARROWS 
BOSTON,  1911 


COPYRIGHT,  1911 
BY  WHITCOMB  &   BARROWS 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


OBJECT  OF  HOUSEKEEPING  CENTER  OR  MODEL  FLAT i 

SUITABLE    FURNISHING    FOR    A    MODEL    HOUSEKEEPING 

CENTER  OR  HOME  FOR  FIVE  PEOPLE 1-13 

CLASSES  IN  HOUSEKEEPING  CENTERS 14-17 

CLASS  CARD  FOR  COURSE  I   16 

COURSE    I 

LESSON         I.     Care  of  the  stove;  making  cocoa;  dish- 
washing           18-24 

LESSON       II.     Cooking  cereals;  cleaning  kitchen  table; 

washing  dish  towels 24-28 

LESSON      III.     Cooking  griddle  cakes;  care  of  the  sink; 

how  to  exterminate  cockroaches....       28-31 

LESSON      IV.     Review  of  stove  and  of  preparation  for 

cooking  lesson  and  general  clearing  up,     31-32 

LESSON       V.     Cleaning  kitchen  closets 32~35 

LESSON     VI.     Cleaning    ice    box,    window    shelf,    and 

bread  box;  care  of  perishable  food. .       35~37 

LESSON    VII.     Cleaning   closet   used    for   cooking  uten- 
sils ;  how  to  remove  rust 37~39 

LESSON  VIII.     Cleaning    kitchen  —  cleaning    woodwork; 

washing  windows;  scrubbing  floor..       39-41 

LESSON     IX.     Cooking  and  serving  a  meal 4T-42 

LESSON       X.     Bedding;    how  to   prevent   and   extermi- 
nate bedbugs ;  care  of  the  bedroom. .       42-44 
iii 

238141 


IV  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

LESSON  XL  Dining-room  work — setting  the  table; 
putting  the  room  in  order  after 
breakfast 44~45 

LESSON    XII.     Morning   work    45-46 

COURSE    II 

CLASS  CARD  47 

LESSON  I.     Cooking  and  serving  breakfast 48-49 

LESSON  II.     Fitting  together  the  morning  work 49~5o 

LESSON  III.     Cleaning  living-room    50-51 

LESSON  IV.     Cleaning  brass,   silver,  and  nickel 51-53 

LESSON  V.     Cleaning  bedroom    53 

LESSON  VI.     Gas ;  cleaning  lamps   53~56 

LESSON    VII.     Cleaning  bathroom;  care  of  bathtub  and 

water-closet    56-57 

LESSONS  VIII    Preparing  for  the  wash  —  sorting,  mend- 
AND  IX.            ing,  taking  out  spots  and  stains ;  how 
to     make     Cleaning     Solution     and 
Javelle   water    57~59 

LESSONS       X     Washing;  how  to  prepare  starch 59-6 1 

AND  XI. 

LESSON    XII.     How  to  wash   silk ;   care  of  wash  boiler 

and    stationary   tubs 61-62 

LESSON  XIII.     Ironing      62-63 

LESSON  XIV.     Cooking  and  serving  dinner 64 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  EXAMINATIONS    64-70 

a.  Demonstration   test    64-65 

b.  Examination  questions    65-70 

DINNER  CLASS    70 


CONTENTS  V 

PAGE 

HOME  NURSING  COURSE   71-77 

a.  General     schedule     of     work     for     the     nursing 

classes    71 

b.  Lesson  on  the  care  of  infants 72-73 

c.  Clothes  for  the  young  baby 73~77 

COURSE   III 

CLASS  CARD   78-79 

RECIPES    79-94 

a.  Cocoa ;  milk  and  cinnamon  tea 79 

b.  Soups      80-83 

c.  Meat  substitutes    83-84 

d.  Inexpensive  meat  dishes 84-86 

e.  Bread  and  muffins 86-88 

/.   Puddings  and  custards  88-90 

g.  Italian  recipes    90-91 

h.  Kosher    recipes     92-94 


HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 


ix 


THE    ASSOCIATION    OF    PRACTICAL 
HOUSEKEEPING    CENTERS 

NEW   YORK    CITY 

THE  object  of  the  Housekeeping  Center  or  Model 
Flat  is  to  instruct  the  people  of  the  tenements  in  the  art 
of  healthful  housekeeping  by  means  of  illustration  and 
daily  lessons. 

The  Housekeeping  Centers,  where  the  lessons  are 
given,  are  tenement  flats,  just  such  dwellings  as  the  peo- 
ple occupy  who  take  advantage  of  the  instruction.  The 
furnishing  and  management  of  the  Model  Flat  are  in 
themselves  a  practical  lesson  in  economy,  and  an  illus- 
tration of  the  sanitation  and  beauty  which  lie  within  reach 
of  the  laborer's  income. 

Lessons  in  cleaning,  hygiene,  and  cooking  are  given  by 
trained  teachers ;  also  instruction  in  all  matters  connected 
with  the  rearing  of  children,  personal  health,  and  the 
most  economical  use  of  limited  means. 


Suitable  Furnishing  for  a  Model  Housekeeping  Flat 
or  Home  for  Five  People 

KITCHEN  FURNISHING 
Stove  (if  stove  is  not  found  in  flat) .  .  .       $9.00 

$9.00 


,2  .  ;'  ;'/':  '  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

Connected  with  the  stove  there  must  be: 

Poker    $0.06 

Rake  for  cleaning  out  soot .11 

Whisk  broom    .13 

Blacking  brush  and  dauber   .25 

Stove  lifter   .06 

Shovel    08 

Coal  scuttle   .35 

Ash  can   .50 


$1-54 
Wooden  Ware 

Kitchen  table  (36  in.,  with  drawer)  ...  $2.15 

Chair .50 

Pickle  barrel,  used  for  soiled  clothes. .  .50 

Bread  board .25 

Spoon   .10 

Rolling-pin .15 

Chopping  bowl   .20 

Clotheshorse   .54 

Scrubbing  pail    .40 

$479 
Iron,  Tin,  and  Wire  Ware 

Tin  sugar  box $0.10 

Tin  flour  box   .10 

Colander    .21 

Measuring  cup    .10 

Bread  box   .35 


Amount  carried  forward,  $0.86 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE 


Amount  brought  forward, 


$0.86 


Wire  egg  beater .05 

Grater .05 

Potato  masher .10 

Tea   strainer    .05 

Can  opener   .08 

Corkscrew    .10 

Kitchen  forks  (3)    .30 

Griddle  spade  .06 

Ice  pick   .08 

Biscuit  cutter   .02 

Dishpans  (2) .50 

Pie  tins  (2)  at  6c .12 

Kerosene  oil  can .20 

Layer  pans  (2)  at  5c .10 

Apple  corer  .05 

Funnel    .05 

Cake  pans  (2)    .20 

Gem  pans  ( 12)    .20 

Bread  pans   (3)    .60 

Pepper  shaker  .05 

Salt  shaker    .05 

Saucepan  covers  (2) .30 

Flour  sifter   .12 

Match  box  ( i ) .05 

Bread  knife  .25 

Chopping  knife .15 

Kitchen  knives   (3) .30 

Skimmer    .  .08 


Amount  carried  forward, 


$5.12 


4  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Amount  brought  forward,  $5. 12 

Paring  knives  (2) .30 

Broiler    .25 

Trays  (2)    30 

Iron  frying  pan .50 

Small  frying  pan .12 

Carving  knife   .50 

Garbage  can .50 


$7-59 
Agate  Ware 

Double  boiler   $0.50 

Saucepans    (2) .50 

2  agate  washbasins .30 

Coffeepot    .60 


$1.90 
Earthen  and  Glass  Ware 

6  pop-over  cups  $0.30 

Large  yellow  bowls  (2) .20 

Medium  yellow  bowl  (i) .10 

Butter  jar    .10 

Pitcher,  I  qt .15 

Lemon  squeezer    .05 

Glass  jars  (2  doz.) 1.20 


$2.10 

Brooms  and  Brushes 
Hard  broom  ( i )    $0.50 


Amount  carried  forward,  $0.50 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE 

Amount  brought  forward,  $0.50 

Whisk  broom  (i)    .15 

Dustpan    (i)     .10 

Small  scrubbing  brushes  (4) .20 

Large  scrubbing  brush  (i) .15 


$1.10 
For  Sink 

Soap  dishes  (2) $0.10 

Soap   shaker    .05 

Sink  brush .08 

Glass  holder  .06 

Sink  strainer  .10 

Sink  shovel  .  .10 


$0.49 
For  Washing  and  Ironing 

Wash  boiler $1.60 

Washboard    .25 

Ironing  board   .95 

Covering  for  ironing  board .24 

Blanket  covering   .49 

Sandpaper    .01 

Pulley  line,  ic  a  yd.,  25  yds .25 

Pulleys   (2)    .20 

Clothespins  ( 100)    .20 

Tin  cover  (may  be  used  for  ironstand) 

Flatirons  (3)    .99 

Boiler .65 

Amount  carried  forward,  $5-83 


6  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Amount  brought  forward,  $5-83 

Iron  holders  (3),  made  of  old  stocking 

or  bed  ticking  or  bought .15 

Oiled  paper  (kept  from  packages) .... 
Ends  of  candles  may  be  used  for  waxing 

irons    . 


$5.98 
Kitchen  Linen 

Dusters     (6),    made    from    old,    soft 

cloths  or  2  yds.  cheesecloth $0.10 

Cleaning  cloths    (12),  made  from  old 

linen  or  cotton,  or  3  yds.  muslin.  . .  .21 

Floorcloths  (2),  use  old  shirts  or  buy 

for  IDC  each .20 

Crash  oven  cloths  or  holders  (2) .10 

Dish  towels  (12),  ice  a  yd 1.20 

Roller  towels  (4),  ice  a  yd.,  2  yds.  long  .80 

Dishcloths  (3)   .21 

Bag  for  rags,  bag  for  paper,  bag  for 

string,  bag   for  clothespins 

These  bags  may  all  be  made  from  3  yds. 
of  chambray  or  seersucker,  nc  a 
yd 33 

$3-15 


Total  for  kitchen  furnishings $37-64 

These  prices,  of  course,  vary  in  different  cities  and  in 
different  stores.     Considering  the  tendency  to  burn  and 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE 


rust,  the  cheaper  kitchen  utensils  are  advised,  so  that 
replacement  could  be  made  with  slight  expense.  This  is 
a  full  list,  and  in  case  of  a  very  limited  income  one  can 
do  without  many  things. 


DINING  AND  LIVING  ROOM  FURNISHING 

If  the  kitchen  is  large  enough  it  will  serve  also  as  a 
dining-room.  If  too  small  a  separate  room  must  be  used 
for  a  dining-room  and  living-room. 

Table    $3.00 

Chairs  (6)   3.00 

Scrim  curtains,  i8c  a  yd.  (more  durable 

than  muslin),  10  yds 1.80 

Paper  basket  .15 

Air-tight  stove  (round) 4.00 

Desk  (stained  kitchen  table) 2.15 

Rack  at  back  of  desk  for  papers i.oo 

Chairs  (2)   (easy,  not  upholstered) .  .  .  3.75 

Lamp    i.oo 

$19.85 
Dishes  for  Dining-Room 

Small  plates  (6) $0.48 

Large  plates  (6) .60 

Cups  and  saucers  (6) .60 

Large  platter .49 

Small  platter .32 


Amount  carried  forward,  $2.49 


O  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

Amount  brought  forward,  $2.49 

Vegetable  dishes  (2) .30 

Baking  dish .10 

Teapot    .25 

Milk  pitcher .10 

Sugar  bowl   .10 

Salt  shakers  (2) .10 

Pepper  shaker .05 

Water  pitcher   .15 

Sauce  dishes  (6)   .30 

Glasses  (6)    .30 

Soup  plates  (6) .60 

Butter  dishes  (6) .30 

Dessert  or  salad  dishes  (6) .50 

Odd  pitcher  .10 

$574 
Dining-Room  Linen 

Table  napkins  ( 12) $1.00 

Plate  doilies  ( 12) 1.20 

2  centerpieces  .30 

(Tablecloths  are  unnecessary.) 


$2.50 
Bedrooms 

Iron  beds  and  mattresses   (2),  i  dou- 
ble,   i    single $15.00 

Trundle-bed  and  mattress  (i) 5.00 

Bureaus  (2),  $5.75  each 11.50 


Amount  carried  forward,  $3i-5o 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE 

Amount  brought  forward,  $31 -5° 

Comforters  (3),  790  each 2.37 

Pillows  (4),  6oc  each 2.40 

Pillowcases  (8),  25c  each 2.00 

Blankets  (3  pairs) 6.00 

Canton  flannel  for  bed  pads .60 

Face  towels  (12),  22c  each 2.64 

Washcloths  (10),  5c  each .50 

Bath  towels  (5),  25c  each 1.25 

Bath  mat   - .25 

Sheets  (12)   4.36 

Muslin  curtains,  I2^c  a  yd.,  6  yds..  .  .  1.50 

Brass  rods  for  all  curtains,  ice  each  (3)  .30 


$55.67 
Total  for  furnishing $121.40 

Suggestions  for  Furnishing 

The  following  suggestions  for  house  furnishing  show 
how  one  may  save  money  and  economize  space. 

In  a  four-room  flat  for  five  persons,  a  good  arrange- 
ment is  a  kitchen,  a  living  and  dining-room,  and  two  bed- 
rooms. In  a  three-room  flat,  used  for  five  persons,  one 
room  will  serve  as  kitchen  and  dining-room;  there  will 
be  also  a  bedroom,  and  the  third  room  may  be  used  as 
a  living-room,  which,  with  a  couch,  can  be  converted  into 
a  bedroom. 

The  walls  should  be  painted  throughout,  as  only  walls 
that  can  be  washed  are  sanitary.  In  the  kitchen  the  wall 
coloring  should  be  light.  As  tenement  flats  are  apt  to  be 


IO  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

dark,  yellow  paint  is  advised  for  all  rooms.  The  most 
satisfactory  floors  are  stained,  not  painted,  except  in  the 
kitchen,  where  the  bare  floor  is  best. 

To  stain  a  floor,  the  natural  wood  should  be  well 
cleaned  and  dried.  If  the  floor  has  been  painted,  remove 
the  paint  with  lye  and  hot  water,  being  careful  not  to  let 
the  lye  touch  clothing  or  hands.  JFor  stai^'np-  flnnrc 
some  antique  oak  floor  stain  without  varnish  is  good. 
One  quart  at  seventy  cents  is  enough  to  stain  three  rooms. 
To  clean  these  floors  scrub  with  soapy  water,  to  which 
add  a  little  kerosene  as  a  disinfectant.  It  is  cleaner  to  use 
no  carpets  or  rugs,  excepting  one  small  rug  by  the  bed  if 
desired. 

Unless  it  is  needed  for  protection,  there  should  not  be 
a  shade  in  the  kitchen  window,  as  it  must  be  open  from 
the  top  and  the  shade  becomes  torn  and  ragged. 

When  purchasing  the  kitchen  stove,  be  sure  that  it  has 
a  hot  water  boiler,  if  hot  water  is  not  furnished  with  the 
flat. 

A  covered  box  outside  of  the  window,  with  a  slanting 
roof  in  order  that  the  rain  and  snow  may  run  off,  will 
take  the  place  of  an  ice  box,  except  in  very  hot  weather. 

A  window  seat  in  the  dining-room,  made  of  pine  and 
stained,  is  a  convenience.  Under  this  seat  may  be  shelves, 
and  there  should  be  a  door  in  front  hinged  from  the  top. 
Under  this  can  be  kept  the  table  linen,  bed  linen,  or  boots 
and  shoes,  etc. 

In  each  bedroom  a  shelf,  from  which  hangs  a  galatea 
curtain,  is  needed  if  closets  are  not  built  in  the  flat.  A 
seat  with  closet  underneath,  similar  to  that  in  the  living- 
room,  may  be  built  in  one  bedroom  to  hold  the  children's 
toys. 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  II 

Shelves  for  china  in  the  dining-room  are  better  than 
a  sideboard,  the  latter  being  too  large  for  an  ordinary 
tenement  room.  Cheap  sideboards  are  also  very  ugly. 

Book  shelves  are  a  necessity  in  the  living-room,  and 
shelves  in  the  kitchen,  under  which  the  pots,  pans, 
brooms,  etc.,  hang,  and  on  which  stand  the  glass  jars  for 
dry  groceries. 

The  furniture  (which  is  better  bought  in  the  white) 
and  all  shelves,  excepting  those  in  the  kitchen,  can  be 
stained  with  alcohol  stain.  If  the  furniture  is  varnished 
and  one  wishes  to  stain  it,  remove  the  varnish  with  var- 
nish remover  (one  can  costs  forty  cents),  then  wash  the 
wood  clean  with  benzine.  After  it  is  dry,  stain  with 
alcohol  stain,  or,  if  it  is  a  hard  wood,  rub  with  linseed  oil 
without  staining. 

Alcohol  stain  is  made  by  mixing  dry  aniline  stain  with 
alcohol.  The  proportion  of  each  should  be  regulated 
according  to  the  shade  desired — if  the  color  is  too  dark, 
add  more  alcohol;  if  too  light,  add  more  stain.  After 
staining,  furniture  should  be  rubbed  down  with  any  good 
furniture  or  floor  wax. 

If  brass  rods  are  not  possible,  curtains  can  be  hung  on 
tape,  but  be  careful  that  they  do  not  sag.  Curtains  should 
be  short,  just  reaching  the  window  sill.  Long  curtains 
get  dirty  very  quickly. 

The  rack  for  letters  and  papers  to  be  used  on  the  desk 
can  easily  be  made  by  any  carpenter  and  stained  with 
alcohol  stain. 

An  extra  bureau  can  be  made  from  a  soap  box,  with 
shelf  and  legs  added.  This  can  be  stained  and  a  cretonne 
curtain  hung  in  front. 


12  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

A  good  receptacle  for  soiled  clothes  is  a  pickle  barrel, 
price  fifty  cents.  Holes  should  be  bored  in  the  sides  to 
admit  air,  and  a  barrel  top  may  be  purchased  at  any 
hardware  store.  This  is  kept  in  the  kitchen  and  serves 
also  as  a  seat. 

A  screen  is  necessary  in  the  bedroom  for  privacy. 
This  may  be  made  of  a  clotheshorse,  stained  and  hnng 
with  burlap.  Brass  tacks  in  the  top  of  the  screen  serve 
as  knobs.  On  these  the  burlap  curtain  hangs  by  brass 
rings.  This  makes  it  easy  to  take  off  and  clean,  and  is 
better  than  a  gathered  curtain  tacked  fast. 

A  trundle-bed,  which  can  be  pushed  under  the  iron 
bed  in  the  daytime,  is  a  great  convenience  in  crowded 
quarters. 

If  a  bed-couch  is  used  in  the  living-room  a  good  cov- 
ering is  galatea  at  fifteen  cents  a  yard.  This  material  is 
durable,  does  not  fade,  and  is  easily  laundered.  The 
color  of  the  couch  cover  should  be  the  same  as  that  of 
the  walls,  or  possibly  of  a  darker  shade.  Pillow  covers 
of  the  same  material  may  be  made  to  hold  the  blankets 
and  comforter  during  the  daytime. 

A  box  about  three  feet  high  and  one  and  one-half  feet 
wide,  with  one  shelf  in  the  center,  is  needed  in  the 
kitchen.  In  one  half  can  be  placed  kindling  wood  and 
in  the  other  paper. 

If  a  bin  is  not  provided  in  the  cellar,  a  coal  box 
holding  one  hundred  pounds  is  a  saving,  since  coal  costs 
forty  cents  for  one  hundred  pounds  and  twenty-five  cents 
a  bushel. 

Every  glass  jar  in  the  kitchen  should  have  printed  on 
it  the  name  of  the  commodity  it  holds,  the  printing  to  be 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  13 

done  with  a  very  small  brush  and  black,  ready-mixed 
paint  (one-half  pint  for  twenty-five  cents).  After  it  is 
thoroughly  dry,  paint  over  with  white  liquid  shellac  (one- 
half  pint  for  twenty-five  cents).  The  jars  can  then  be 
washed  without  injuring  the  painted  name. 

Teacups  may  be  hung  under  the  shelves  in  the  kitchen 
china  closet,  in  order  to  economize  space. 

If  there  is  a  bathroom  in  the  flat,  have  a  shelf  built 
above  the  bathtub  for  cleaning  materials ;  also,  a  rack  to 
hold  toothbrushes,  and  a  rack  for  towels  and  washcloths. 
Each  member  of  the  family  should  have  his  own  soap, 
soap  dish,  and  towel. 

If  there  is  not  a  bathroom  in  the  flat,  white  enamel 
basins  may  be  hung  on  the  side  of  the  bureaus,  where 
there  must  also  be  towel  racks.  The  basins  may  be  taken 
to  the  kitchen  sink  for  bathing  purposes,  as  running  water 
is  always  preferable,  and  washstands  take  up  space,  are 
a  nuisance,  and  seldom  are  kept  clean. 

In  the  Housekeeping  Center  there  should  be  a  place 
for  everything  which  is  a  necessity  in  a  family  of  five. 
In  other  words,  a  place  must  be  provided  for  kitchen 
linen,  bed  linen,  underclothes,  shoes,  hats,  dresses,  toys, 
brooms  and  brushes,  waste  paper,  soiled  clothes,  towels 
and  cleaning  materials,  groceries,  milk,  food,  wood  and 
coal.  The  teacher  in  each  Center  must  plan  this  arrange- 
ment before  beginning  her  lessons. 

A  few  good  pictures  add  a  great  deal  to  a  home.  It 
is  better  to  have  these  on  the  living-room  wall.  If  it  is 
desired  to  have  pictures  in  the  bedrooms,  a  sanitary  way 
is  to  paste  the  prints  on  the  painted  walls  and  to  wash 
them  over  with  liquid  shellac.  Pictures  and  wall  may 
then  be  washed  at  the  same  time. 


CLASSES    IN    HOUSEKEEPING    CENTERS 

A  class  consists  of  from  six  to  eight  pupils. 

The  work  in  these  classes  is  all  group  work. 

The  teacher  should  be  a  domestic  science  graduate, 
who  has  added  to  her  science  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
tenement  house  conditions. 

Her  academic  knowledge  cannot  be  passed  on  to  her 
pupils  without  many  concessions,  necessitated  by  actual 
conditions  of  small  incomes,  crowded  quarters,  and  lack 
of  time. 

A  teacher  in  a  Housekeeping  Center  must  realize  that 
she  is  inefficient  until  she  has  added  the  experience  of  her 
neighbors  to  her  own  scientific  knowledge.  Otherwise 
she  will  place  the  less  important  detail  ahead  of  the  really 
important  duty. 

Bear  in  mind  that  every  child  that  comes  to  the  Flat 
must  be  made  to  realize  that  she  is  working  with  the 
teacher  to  make  tenement  house  life  more  healthy  and  the 
tenement  home  cleaner  and  prettier. 

It  is  a  good  idea  to  have  on  the  walls  of  the  Model 
Apartment  printed  cards  stating  certain  homely  facts. 
Natural  curiosity  will  cause  a  child  to  read  and  study 
what  is  hanging  on  the  wall.  As  the  eye  takes  in  these 
truths  every  day  the  child  will  gradually  accept  them. 
For  example : 

Clean  your  teeth  after  each  meal. 
Brush  your  teeth  up  and  down,  not  across. 
14 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  15 

Clean  your  finger  nails  every  time  you  wash  your 

hands. 
Do  not  throw  your  hat  and  coat  on  a  chair ;  hang 

them  up. 

Hang  up  aprons  after  class. 
Do  not  put  damp  aprons  into  the  apron  drawer. 
Always  hang  up  the  broom.    Do  not  stand  it  in  the 

corner.     If  a  broom  stands  on  the  brush  end  it 

grows  one-sided  and  the  straws  break. 
Never  use  the  dish  towel  for  anything  but  dishes.- 
Use  the  hand  and  roller  towels  only  for  face  and 

hands. 
Wash  dish  towels  in  clean,  soapy  water;  rinse  in 

clear  hot  water;  wring  and  hang  up  to  dry. 
Once  a  week  boil  dish  towels  and  hang  in  the  sun. 
Do  not  use  the  dishcloth  for  anything  but  wash- 
ing dishes. 

Have  separate  cloths  for  other  cleaning 
Dust,  burnt  matches,  and  paper  go  into  the  paper 

pail,  never  into  the  garbage  can. 
Keep    clean    newspapers,    wrapping    papers,    and 

string  in  a  bag  provided  for  this  purpose.    It  is 

wasteful  to  throw  these  away. 
Never  eat  fruit  without  first  washing  it. 
Ice  water  is  not  good  to  drink,  as  it  chills  the 

stomach;    but    every    one    should    drink    many 

glasses  of  water  a  day  (not  iced). 
Tea  and  coffee  are  bad  for  children.     They  cause 

nervousness,  they  give  ugly  complexions,   and 

there  is  no  food  value  in  either  tea  or  coffee. 


l6  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Eat  slowly.    Chew  well.    See  that  the  food  is  clean 
and  that  it  is  prepared  in  a  clean  way. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  many  valuable  rules  that  might 
be  posted  in  a  conspicuous  place. 

When  a  class  of  six  or  more  girls  has  been  formed, 
usually  from  the  immediate  neighborhood,  the  teacher 
should  give  to  each  a  First  Course  card  bearing  her  name. 

Sample  of  First  Course  Card 


The  holder  of  this  card  has 

1  Made  a  fire. 

2  Washed  dishes. 

3  Washed  dish  towels. 

4  Cleaned  sink. 

5  Prepared  soda  and  cleansed  pipes. 

6  Scrubbed  floor. 

7  Scrubbed  table  or  tubs. 

8  Cleaned  kitchen. 

9  Washed  and  aired  food  tins. 

10  Washed  windows. 

11  Made  bed. 

12  Fought  bedbugs. 

13  Cleaned  toilet. 

14  Dusted  bedroom. 

15  Cleaned  drawers. 

1 6  Scrubbed  woodwork. 

17  Dusted  down  walls. 

1 8  Boiled  out  cleaning  cloths. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  I/ 

Each  occupation  on  this  card  is  punched  by  the 
teacher  as  it  is  satisfactorily  performed. 

As  cooking  is  alternated  with  the  housework,  a  year 
(with  one  lesson  a  week)  is  the  shortest  time  in  which 
this  course  can  be  completed.  The  pupil  is  then  ready  to 
pass  on  to  Course  II. 

It  is  well  to  have  an  oral  or  demonstration  examina- 
tion at  the  end  of  each  course  before  allowing  the  pupil 
to  be  graduated  to  the  higher  course. 


COURSE    I 
LESSON    I 

THE  most  important  possession  of  the  home  is  the 
stove.  Without  it  we  should  freeze  and  starve. 

The  most  insistent  expenditure,  next  to  rent,  is  for 
coal.  For  utility  and  economy,  therefore,  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  the  stove  should  be  the  foundation  of  all 
housekeeping. 

As  the  housekeeper  must  care  for  her  fire,  making  it, 
feeding  it,  watching  it,  the  work  can  be  made  more  inter- 
esting by  learning  something  about  the  materials  she  is 
using — where  the  coal  comes  from,  how  it  is  mined,  and 
something  about  the  lives  of  the  miners.  The  teacher 
may  also  take  up  the  subject  of  wood  and  matches,  and 
instill  a  friendly  feeling  for  the  stove  by  telling  some- 
thing of  the  history  of  stoves.1 

In  this  first  lesson  the  class  may  learn  the  open  secret 
that  everything  is  interesting  if  we  know  enough  about  it, 
even  the  routine  of  housework. 

Care  of  Stoves 

When  the  range  is  free  from  fire,  have  the  children 
examine  every  part  of  it — check,  draught,  and  damper. 
Show  them  how  the  heat  waves  circulate  about  the  oven, 

*A  book  that  describes  the  origin  and  growth  of  common 
things,  like  the  stove,  the  match,  etc.,  is  "Useful  Inventions," 
by  S.  E.  Forman. 

18 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  IQ 

and  where  coal  and  ashes  are  likely  to  collect.  Have  the 
children  understand  that  so  far  as  possible  each  must 
understand  the  stove  in  her  own  home.  She  must  study 
it  and  know  it  thoroughly,  then  if  it  will  not  burn  or  is 
out  of  order,  the  trouble  often  can  be  corrected  without 
sending  for  a  stove  man.  Besides,  to  know  a  stove  saves 
coal ;  and  will  prevent  the  buying  of  too  small  coal,  which 
will  fall  through  the  grate  or  fire-box. 

Each  furnace,  range,  or  stove  is  somewhat  different, 
yet  the  principle  of  all  is  the  same.  Each  has  a  damper, 
draught,  and  check.  Each  must  have  an  escape  for  coal 
gas,  and  each  must  have  water  to  prevent  the  air  from 
becoming  too  dry.  In  the  case  of  a  kitchen  stove,  this 
water  is  placed  on  the  top  of  the  stove  in  a  bowl,  which 
must  be  washed  and  refilled  every  morning. 

The  damper  is  a  flat  plate  which,  when  shut,  closes 
the  opening  into  that  part  of  the  range  connected  with  the 
chimney  flue.  When  the  damper  is  open  the  heat  goes 
up  the  chimney ;  when  it  is  closed  the  heat  waves  go  over 
and  around  the  oven.  The  damper  is  never  entirely 
closed,  as  the  coal  gas  must  have  an  escape  up  the  chim- 
ney. 

The  draughts  are  doors  or  slides  that  come  below  the 
fire-box.  When  they  are  open  a  strong  current  of  air 
passes  up  through  the  fire-box,  making  the  fire  burn  bet- 
ter. When  the  draught  is  closed  the  fire  burns  more 
slowly. 

The  check  is  a  slide  or  small  door  above  the  fire-box. 
When  open  it  retards,  or  makes  a  slow  fire. 

In  starting  the  fire,  open  damper  and  draughts,  and 
close  the  check. 


2O  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

When  the  fire  is  started,  close  the  damper  and  save 
heat. 

For  a  hot  oven,  close  the  damper,  open  the  draught, 
and  see  that  the  check  is  not  open. 

For  a  slow  fire,  close  draughts  and  damper,  and  open 
the  check. 

To  Make  the  Morning  Fire  in  the  Range 

First  take  out  the  ashes,  seeing  that  clinkers  and  fine 
ashes  are  removed  from  every  part  of  the  stove.  These 
prevent  a  free  circulation  of  air  and  absorb  the  heat.  Lay 
the  fire  lightly — first  paper,  then  wood,  then  a  very  little 
coal ;  remember  that  a  packed  fire  will  not  burn.  Before 
lighting  the  fire  the  dust  should  be  brushed  from  every 
part  of  the  stove.  When  lighting  the  fire,  have  all 
draughts  open,  damper  open,  and  check  closed.  Put 
very  little,  if  any,  coal  on  at  first ;  and  more  coal  when  the 
fire  is  started.  When  it  is  really  going  well,  close  the 
damper.  The  children,  not  the  teacher,  should  decide 
when  the  damper  should  be  closed. 

During  the  day  it  is  better  always  to  rake  a  fire  than 
to  shake  it.  Never  have  the  coal  reach  the  lids  of  the 
stove,  as  this  makes  the  lids  crack.  Never  allow  the  stove 
to  grow  red-hot;  to  cool  too  hot  a  fire,  open  check  or  lift 
lids. 

Before  blacking  the  stove,  rub  off  with  a  damp  news- 
paper. The  range  should  be  blacked  every  morning 
before  the  fire  is  lighted,  but  never  black  over  dust. 
Throughout  the  day  clean  the  stove  with  newspaper  if 
anything  spills  on  it.  If  it  is  not  thoroughly  polished 
after  blacking,  the  saucepans  will  become  dirty. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  21 

Connected  with  a  stove  and  near  it,  one  must  have  a 
match  box,  a  box  for  kindling,  and  a  place  for  newspa- 
pers. A  common  packing  box  divided  into  two  parts  will 
hold  both  wood  and  paper.  One  must  also  have  an  ash 
can,  a  coal  scuttle,  and  a  shovel ;  a  stove  lifter,  a  shaker,  a 
poker  and  a  rake  for  cleaning  soot  out  from  all  air  spaces 
under  the  oven  as  well  as  over  it ;  a  blacking  dauber  and 
brush,  stove  blacking,  a  whisk  broom,  and  an  old  glove  to 
protect  the  hands.  An  oven  cloth  should  be  near  at  hand 
for  lifting  hot  dishes. 

Have  the  pupils  understand  that  all  these  things  must 
be  very  near  the  stove.  One  should  never  have  to  look 
about  for  anything  required  in  managing  a  range.  Call 
special  attention  to  the  fact  that  utensils  should  be  hung 
within  easy  reach. 

When  the  pupils  have  become  familiar  with  the  stove, 
let  them  use  it.  Make  cocoa,  for  example.  Cocoa  is  more 
healthful  and  nourishing  than  tea  or  coffee.  A  teacher 
cannot  too  often  reiterate  the  fact  that  tea  and  coffee  are 
bad  for  children. 

To  make  cocoa  have  the  children  spread  paper  on  the 
kitchen  table,  and  from  the  recipe  written  on  the  black- 
board let  them  decide  what  materials  and  utensils  are 
necessary  for  making  it. 

Then  they  may  put  these  ingredients  on  the  table. 
Never  begin  work  until  everything  to  work  with  is  ready. 
In  this  case  they  will  need  cocoa,  sugar,  milk,  salt,  a 
saucepan,  a  tablespoon,  a  knife,  a  cup  for  measuring,  a 
double  boiler  (or  two  saucepans),  an  egg  beater,  a  uten- 
sil-plate, and  a  towel.  See  that  there  is  a  kettle  of  boiling 
water  on  the  stove. 


22  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

After  the  cocoa  is  made  and  served,  scrape,  pile,  and 
wash  the  dishes. 

Dishwashing 

The  piling,  scraping,  and  rinsing  of  dishes  is  quite  as 
important  as  the  washing.  Dishes  that  stand  tmpiled  and 
unrinsed  require  more  time  and  more  effort. 

It  is  well  to  have  the  directions  for  dishwashing  type- 
written and  tacked  on  the  wall. 

To  pile  dishes  for  washing : 

Scrape  all  bits  of  food  from  dishes  on  one  plate — 
empty  this  plate  into  garbage  pail.  Pile  dishes  in  order 
of  size,  cups  together,  saucers  together,  plates  together, 
etc.,  silver  by  itself.  Never  set  one  glass  in  another. 
Soak  all  cooking  dishes. 

Soak  all  milk  dishes  or  dishes  that  have  had  dough  in 
them  in  cold  water.  Soak  egg  dishes  in  cold  water.  Soak 
all  dishes  that  have  had  sugar  in  them  in  hot  water. 
Soak  all  cereal  dishes  in  cold  water. 

To  wash  dishes : 

Use  two  dishpans,  plenty  of  hot  water,  and  dishcloth. 
Always  fill  the  kettle  after  taking  water  from  it. 
Make  wash  water  soapy  with  soap  shaker. 
Take  dishes  from  rinsing  pan  and  set  them  on  drain- 
ing tray. 

Order  of  washing  dishes : 

Cleanest  first. 

Glasses,  silver,  teacups,  saucers,  rest  of  china,  granite 
and  tin  ware,  pots  and  pans. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  23 

Kitchen  knives  and  forks  should  always  be  scoured 
with  Sapolio  to  take  off  spots,  or  with  ashes  and  kerosene. 

Do  not  put  the  wooden  handles  of  knives  or  forks 
into  water.  Wipe  them  off  with  a  wet  cloth  and  dry 
well,  as  soaking  in  water  loosens  handles. 

After  dishes  are  washed  and  wiped,  empty  and  rinse 
both  pans,  dry  them  and  hang  them  up;  wipe  off  tubs 
where  dishes  are  washed. 

To  wipe  dishes  : 

Lay  out  two  trays — the  first  for  rinsed  dishes  and  the 
second  for  dried  dishes.  Use  plenty  of  dish  towels  and 
wipe  dishes  well.  Give  used  towels  when  finished  to 
towel  washer. 

Put  away  dishes. 

To  clean  a  milk  bottle  : 

First,  soak  the  bottle  in  cold  water. 

Second,  wash  with  other  glassware  in  hot,  soapy 
water. 

Third,  rinse  with  hot  water. 

Clean  seams  of  pans  with  a  match  stick  or  wooden 
skewer.  To  clean  kettles  in  which  something  has  been 
burned,  fill  with  water,  add  a  small  handful  of  soda  and 
boil,  repeating  if  not  entirely  successful  at  first. 

Dry  tinware  near  the  stove,  woodenware  in  the  sun. 

Make  the  children  understand  that  this  is  only  a  part 
of  the  clearing  up  that  must  follow  all  cooking.  Dish 
towels,  sink,  table,  tubs,  must  be  left  in  perfect  order,  but 
in  this  first  lesson  the  children  are  capable  of  doing  only 


24  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

a  part.  Make  them  look  forward  to  the  time  when  they 
can  do  all,  and  will  need  to  leave  nothing  to  the  teacher. 

This  lesson  teaches:  first,  the  mechanism  of  the 
range,  the  making  and  care  of  fires;  in  fact,  everything 
about  a  stove ;  second,  that  no  cooking  can  go  on  until  all 
materials  and  tools  have  been  collected  and  placed  neatly 
on  the  kitchen  table ;  third,  knowledge  of  dishwashing, 
and  the  order  in  which  dishes  should  be  washed.  Every 
cooking  lesson  includes  a  review  of  the  dishwashing  in 
this  lesson. 

At  each  cooking  lesson  a  housekeeper  is  chosen,  the 
pupils  taking  turns  in  the  filling  of  this  office. 

The  Duties  of  Housekeeper  Are 

1.  To  KEEP  COOKING  TABLE  IN  ORDER  DURING  LESSON. 
(a.)     Replacing  Food   Materials   after   They   Have 

Been  Used. 

(b.)     Removing    Dishes    from    Table    When    Not 
Needed  for  Further  Work. 

2.  To  ATTEND  DOOR. 

3.  To  PUT  AWAY  DISHES  WHEN  DRIED. 

4.  To  SWEEP  FLOOR. 

5.  To  SEE  THAT  KITCHEN  Is  LEFT  IN  PERFECT  ORDER 

AND     No    COOKING    DISHES    LEFT    ON     STOVE 
UNWASHED. 

LESSON    II 

BEGIN  this  lesson  with  cooking  cereals.  Have  recipes 
written  on  the  blackboard. 

See  which  girl,  without  help,  can  arrange  the  damper, 
draughts,  and  check  so  as  to  make  the  stove  hot  on  top. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  25 

(Each  time  the  stove  is  used  review  more  or  less  the  first 
lesson.) 

The  children  have  already  learned  that  before  be- 
ginning to  cook  anything  all  things  necessary  for  the 
cooking  must  be  placed  on  the  kitchen  table. 

Breakfast  foods  are  made  from  wheat,  corn,  etc. 
There  are  many  kinds.  They  are  cheap,  healthful,  and 
easily  cooked.  The  food  value  in  cereals  is  large. 

The  only  difference  in  the  cooking  of  cereals  is  the 
amount  of  time  required  in  the  boiling  and  the  amount  of 
water  used. 

Time-Table  for  Cooking  Cereals 

Cereal  Ami,     Water     Salt       Time 

cups      cups      tsp.        min. 

Rolled  Oats  i  2^  i  40 

Oatmeal   (coarse)  i  3^/2  1^2  40 

Pettijohn's  12  I  40 

Cream  of  Wheat  I  4  I1/?  40 

Wheatena  i  4  i^  30 

Rice  162  30 

H.  O.  i  2  i  30 

firs. 

Hominy  (fine)  14  2  il/2 

Corn  meal  i  4  2  2  or 

longer 

Raw  cereals  need  longest  cooking.  Old-fashioned 
oatmeal,  corn  meal,  etc. 

Partially  cooked:  Cream  of  Wheat,  H.  O.,  Wheatena, 
Pettijohn's,  Quaker  Oats. 

Prepared  cereals  require  no  cooking. 

The  water   should  be  boiling  and  salted  when  the 


20  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

cereal  is  added.  Cook  for  five  minutes  directly  over  the 
fire,  and  stir  lightly  with  a  fork  until  all  is  thoroughly 
mixed.  Then  cook  in  a  double  boiler  or  in  a  small  sauce- 
pan placed  over  a  larger  saucepan,  the  larger  one  con- 
taining boiling  water  (this  to  prevent  the  cereal  from 
burning).  While  cooking,  stir  occasionally  from  the 
bottom  with  a  fork. 

As  the  water  underneath  boils  away  more  should  be 
added;  also  if  the  cereal  absorbs  the  water  too  rapidly 
add  more  water.  If  the  children  learn  to  cook  two  cereals 
they  should  acquire  the  method  for  all. 

In  cooking  two  cereals,  cook  one  in  a  double  boiler, 
one  in  two  saucepans. 

While  the  cereal  is  cooking,  scrape  and  pile  dishes 
used  in  preparation.  Leave  these  on  the  tubs  for  later 
washing. 

Now  wash  the  kitchen  table.  Have  the  following 
directions  typewritten  and  hang  them  on  the  kitchen 
wall. 

To  clean  table  : 

Use  basin  of  hot  water,  two  muslin  cloths,  brush  and 
Dutch  Cleanser  or  Sapolio.  (Soap  makes  a  table  yellow.) 

Wash  one  half  of  table  at  a  time. 

First,  wipe  it  with  cloth  wrung  out  of  hot  water  in 
basin. 

Second,  shake  Dutch  Cleanser  on  wet  space  and  scrub 
with  a  brush — straight  with  the  grain  of  the  wood — as 
scrubbing  round  and  round  does  not  take  the  dirt  out. 

Third,  wipe  off  with  a  wet  cloth. 

Fourth,  wipe  with  dry  cloth. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  27 

After  table  is  washed,  put  away  Dutch  Cleanser; 
empty,  rinse  and  dry  pan ;  hang  it  up ;  rinse  out  brush  and 
put  it  away ;  wash  out  the  cloths  used  in  washing  tables ; 
wipe  up  floor  if  any  water  has  been  spilled.  If  there  is  no 
housekeeper,  table  cleaner  sweeps  floor  and  puts  away 
dishes. 

When  the  cereal  is  cooked,  serve  and  eat  with  milk 
and  sugar.  First,  fill  the  boiler  and  saucepans  with  cold 
water  to  make  the  washing  easier  later. 

After  eating  the  cereal,  scrape  and  pile  dishes.  Next, 
wash  dishes,  as  taught  in  the  last  lesson. 

Wash  out  and  leave  the  dishpans  near  the  stove  to 
dry  in  order  to  prevent  rust.  Wash  and  rinse  the  dish 
towels  and  hang  them  up  to  dry.  The  towels  must  be 
thoroughly  washed  after  every  dishwashing. 

To  wash  towels  : 

Use  towel  pan  and  plenty  of  hot  water,  rubbing  board, 
and  soap. 

Wash  one  piece  at  a  time,  cleanest  first. 

Rinse  each  piece  in  another  basin ;  shake  out ;  hang 
on  rack  with  edges  even. 

Towels  must  be  boiled  at  least  once  a  week  to  keep 
them  fresh  and  white. 

Brush  up  about  the  stove,  and  leave  a  slow  fire. 

In  this  lesson,  explain  that  ashes  must  not  be  put  in 
with  the  food  refuse,  but  in  a  separate  can.  The  ashmen 
are  not  allowed  to  take  the  two  mixed. 

In  this  lesson  the  pupils  have  learned  not  only  to  cook 
cereals,  to  clean  tables,  and  to  wash  dish  towels,  but  have 


28  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

added  to  their  knowledge  of  the  stove  and  of  dishwash- 
ing. In  fact,  when  the  sink  work  has  been  taught,  they 
will  know  how  to  do  all  the  clearing  up  after  cooking. 


LESSON    III 

IN  this  lesson,  let  the  class  cook  something  on  the 
top  of  the  stove ;  for  example,  stale-bread  griddle  cakes. 
(These  are  merely  suggestions.) 

Stale-Bread  Griddle  Cakes  — Recipe 

Soak  stale  bread  in  hot  water  until  soft.  Press  out 
water.  To  2  cupfuls  of  softened  bread  add  2  beaten 
eggs,  a  teaspoon  of  salt,  a  half  cup  of  flour  and  enough 
milk  to  make  a  thin  batter  (smooth).  Add  the  last  thing 
a  tablespoonful  of  molasses  and  a  teaspoonful  of  baking 
powder. 

Remember  to  have  on  the  table  bread,  eggs,  baking 
powder,  milk,  flour,  salt,  molasses,  bowls,  sifter,  cup, 
tablespoon,  teaspoon,  griddle,  fork,  butter,  tissue  paper 
for  buttering  the  pan,  egg  beater,  cake  turner,  knife, 
utensil  plate,  and  a  towel. 

After  everything  is  cooked,  served,  and  eaten,  scrape, 
pile,  and  wash  the  dishes.  See  which  child  can  best  re- 
member the  dish  washing  and  cleaning  up  from  the  last 
lesson. 

The  new  thing  to  learn  in  this  lesson  is  the  care  of  the 
sink.  Care  must  be  given  to  the  sink  every  day.  Explain 
how  the  grease  hardens  in  the  pipes,  and  how  pieces  of 
vegetable  matter  stick  to  this  grease  and  become  decayed, 
if  they  are  not  removed.  This  not  only  produces  a  bad 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  2Q 

odor  and  stops  up  the  pipe,  but  causes  a  very  unhealthful 
gas  to  form. 

When  the  dishwashing  is  finished  and  the  dish  towels 
and  dishcloth  have  been  washed,  use  the  hot,  soapy  water 
in  the  dishpan  to  pour  around  the  sink. 

To  clean  sink: 

Sink  must  always  be  cleaned  after  dishes  are  washed 
and  at  any  time  that  dirty  water  is  sent  down  the  pipes. 

First,  brush  up  all  the  bits  of  food  and  dirt  from  the 
sink  with  sink  brush  and  shovel,  and  put  them  into  the 
garbage  pail ;  then  put  a  handful  of  soda  into  the  sink, 
pour  in  a  kettle  of  hot  water,  and  scrub  inside  of  sink 
with  sink  brush. 

Pour  more  hot  water  down  the  pipes  to  take  away 
soda.  If  soda  is  not  washed  free  of  the  pipes  it  is  apt  to 
eat  holes;  and  it  will  combine  with  grease  washed  down 
from  the  sink  and  form  soap,  which  will  clog  the  pipes. 

Ordinarily  the  sink  is  washed  but  once  a  day  with  hot 
soda  water,  in  order  to  cut  away  all  grease  that  has  lodged 
in  the  pipes.  But  it  is  well,  as  a  matter  of  practice,  to 
have  the  children  clean  the  sink  with  soda  every  lesson. 
A  good  way  (if  soda  is  not  put  directly  into  the  sink)  is 
to  put  a  handful  of  washing  soda  into  the  hot  water 
kettle  every  evening,  let  it  come  to  a  boil,  pour  over  every 
part  of  the  sink  and  down  the  pipe,  and  then  rinse  the 
pipe  well  with  plenty  of  clean  hot  water.  Also  rinse  well 
the  hot  water  kettle  and  wipe  it  dry  and  turn  it  upside 
down  until  morning.  Make  the  children  understand  that 
they  must  be  very  careful  never  to  put  the  kettle  back  on 
the  stove  until  it  is  filled  with  water. 


3O  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

If  an  iron  sink  is  rusty,  grease  it  with  some  fatty 
substance.  Leave  over  night,  and  in  the  morning  wash 
the  sink  with  hot  soda  water.  This  will  remove  the  rust. 
If  the  rust  in  a  sink  is  not  very  bad  it  can  be  removed  by 
using  kerosene  and  wood  ashes. 

Near  the  sink  must  always  be  kept  a  sink  brush,  a 
sink  shovel,  a  soap  dish  and  washing  soap,  a  soap  shaker, 
a  glass  for  drinking,  a  strainer,  a  jar  of  soda  and  a  jar 
of  wood  ashes. 

This  finishes  dishwashing  and  the  necessary  cleaning 
up  after  cooking.  Teach  the  children  not  to  keep  dirty 
cloths  under*  the  sink.  Teach  them  that  dishes  should 
never  be  washed  under  the  faucet,  and  that  scraps  of 
food  should  never  get  into  the  sink,  but  should  be  scraped 
directly  from  the  dishes,  pots,  and  pans  into  the  garbage 
pail.  Also  have  the  pupils  understand  that  if  they  wash 
their  hands  at  the  kitchen  sink,  a  separate  basin  must  be 
kept  for  this  purpose,  and  after  the  dirty  water  from  the 
basin  is  poured  down  the  pipes  the  sink  must  be  well 
washed.  In  a  later  lesson  this  subject  will  be  taken  up 
more  fully. 

In  this  lesson  the  children  must  also  learn  how  to  care 
for  the  garbage  pail. 

A  pail  in  which  water  and  soda  has  been  boiled  each 
day,  and  the  pail  afterwards  rinsed,  will  not  smell. 

Always  keep  the  garbage  can  closed. 

An  open  garbage  can  attracts  cockroaches. 

To  exterminate  roaches  and  water  bugs,  pour 
a  solution  of  turpentine  down  the  pipes  every  week  or 
two,  and  every  night  sprinkle  roach  salt  in  all  cracks 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  3! 

about  sink  and  tubs,  brushing  up  in  the  morning  before 
beginning  to  cook. 

LESSON    IV 

THIS  lesson  should  be  a  review  of  the  stove,  the  set- 
ting of  the  table  for  the  cooking  lesson,  and  of  the  general 
cleaning  up  after  a  lesson.  See  what  each  child  can  re- 
member about  the  management  of  the  draughts  and 
damper  and  check. 

1.  How  they  should  be  when  fire  is  first  lighted. 

2.  When  fire  is  well  started. 

3.  How  to  check  a  fire. 

4.  How  to  keep  fire  in  all  night. 

5.  How  to  heat  the  oven  for  baking. 

6.  General  care  of  stove  to  keep  it  in  good  condition 
and  to  have  a  good  fire. 

Emphasize  how  to  heat  an  oven.  Give  the  children 
the  recipe  for  gingerbread,  baking  powder  biscuits  or 
muffins,  and  let  them  collect  without  help  all  the  things 
necessary  for  baking. 

Counting  is  a  satisfactory  and  simple  method  by 
which  children  may  test  the  temperature  of  the  oven. 

Have  the  child  kneel  in  front  of  the  oven  door  and 
open  the  door  with  the  right  hand  just  far  enough  to 
admit  the  left  hand.  Holding  the  hand  above  the  upper 
shelf  of  the  oven,  count  slowly.  When  it  is  uncomfort- 
able to  keep  the  hand  in  after  six  counts  the  oven  is  hot. 
If  the  hand  becomes  uncomfortable  after  five  counts  it 
means  a  very  hot  oven;  after  twelve  counts,  a  moderate 
oven ;  and  after  fifteen  or  twenty  counts,  a  slow  oven. 

In  cleaning  up  after  a  lesson,  always  have  the  children 


32  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

work  in  a  given  order.  It  is  better  to  stop  in  the  middle 
of  a  piece  of  work,  if  time  does  not  permit  finishing,  and 
to  have  that  portion  well  done,  than  to  complete  a  task 
in  a  slipshod  manner. 

Suggestions  for  Order  of  Work  in  General 

Cleaning  Up 
For  Six  in  Class. 

No.  i  washes  dishes; 

cleans  sink. 
No.  2  dries  dishes. 
No.  3  dries  dishes. 
No.  4  scrubs  table. 
No.  5  washes  towels. 
No.  6  housekeeper. 
For  Eight  in  Class. 

No.  i  washes  dishes ; 

cleans  sink. 
No.  2  dries  dishes. 
No.  3  dries  dishes. 
No.  4  scrubs  table. 
No.  5  washes  towels. 
No.  6  rinses  and  hangs  towels. 
No.  7  housekeeper. 

Monitor  for  door. 
No.  8  assistant  housekeeper. 

LESSON    V  — Part  I 

IN  every  kitchen,  no  matter  how  large  or  how  small, 
there  will  be  always  some  ironware,  tinware,  woodenware, 
cleaning  cloths,  dish  towels,  implements  for  washing  and 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  33 

ironing,  brooms  and  brushes,  dry  groceries  and  jars  to 
contain  them.  Place  all  these  things  in  the  small  kitchen ; 
give  each,  so  to  speak,  its  own  home,  so  that  anything 
could  be  found  in  the  dark,  if  necessary.  A  nail  here  and 
there,  a  little  thought  as  to  where  to  place  things  at  first, 
and  a  determination  always  to  put  each  article  back  in  its 
own  place  will  make  housekeeping  easy  and  the  kitchen  a 
comfortable,  orderly  place. 

The  teacher  should  direct  attention  to  everything  in 
the  kitchen,  telling  its  use  and  why  it  is  where  it  is. 

In  giving  the  kitchen  a  thorough  cleaning  (which 
must  be  done  at  least  once  a  week),  always  clean  out  the 
closets  first,  explaining  that  otherwise  the  dirt  from  the 
closets  will  be  scattered  over  the  kitchen. 

In  this  lesson,  clean  the  closet  which  holds  the  dry 
groceries  and,  if  there  is  time,  the  closet  where  the  cloths 
and  towels  are  kept. 

Take  things  from  one  shelf  at  a  time,  dusting  each  and 
placing  it  on  a  table  covered  with  newspaper.  Do  not 
mix  articles  from  the  different  shelves.  Dust  off  shelves 
before  washing. 

Beginning  with  the  top  shelf,  scrub  each  in  succession, 
in  the  way  that  the  children  have  already  learned  to  scrub 
the  kitchen  table ;  air  and  dry  thoroughly  before  returning 
the  groceries.  Mold  and  a  bad  odor  are  the  result  of  re- 
turning things  to  a  closet  not  thoroughly  dried. 

Should  the  closet  smell  musty,  wash  it  with  hot  soda 
water  after  scrubbing  the  shelves. 

A  little  Sulpho-Napthol  added  to  the  water  cleans 
and  disinfects,  but  this  will  make  food  taste  if  the  closet 
is  not  well  aired  after  washing. 


34  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Should  ants  be  found  in  the  closet,  pour  a  solution  of 
carbolic  acid  into  all  cracks,  after  the  closet  is  cleaned. 
2  tablespoons  carbolic  acid. 
2  pints  of  water. 
Repeat  until  effective. 

The  following  is,  however,  a  safer  method  to  teach 
small  children:  Use  insect  powder  in  all  the  cracks. 
Later  sweep  away  the  dead  ants  and  fill  the  cracks  with 
borax. 

While  the  closet  is  drying,  wash  all  the  empty  jars  in 
hot,  soapy  water  before  refilling. 

Wash  in  hot,  soapy  water  all  tins  when  they  are  empty, 
and  dry  well  in  the  air  near  the  stove.  Glass  jars  are  the 
best  to  keep  food  in ;  they  do  not  rust,  are  easily  washed, 
can  be  kept  free  from  odor,  and  it  is  easy  to  see  when 
they  need  refilling. 

Remember  that  wooden  utensils  hold  odors  unless 
carefully  cared  for,  that  is,  washed  with  soda  water  and 
dried  in  the  sun  if  possible.  Do  not  dry  them  near  the 
stove. 

To  keep  tinware  from  rust,  see  that  it  is  dried  near 
the  stove  after  washing.  Ashes,  Sapolio,  Bon  Ami,  and 
whiting  are  very  good  for  brightening  tinware.  There  is 
no  need  to  have  tin  grow  rusty  if  it  is  kept  dry. 

Probably  it  will  not  be  possible  to  clean  the  dish  towel 
closet  in  this  lesson.  Do  not  drive  the  children  too  fast ; 
stop  and  talk  work  over,  dividing  a  lesson  into  two  or 
even  three  parts  when  necessary. 

Lesson   V  — Part  II 

Have  a  special  closet  or  set  of  shelves  for  the  kitchen 
linen  and  cleaning  cloths. 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  35 

For  a  family  of  five,  the  following  number  of  cloths 
and  towels  is  sufficient:  twelve  dish  towels,  three  dish- 
cloths, four  roller  towels,  three  dusters,  and  twelve  clean- 
ing cloths  (these  can  be  made  easily  from  worn-out 
linen  or  cotton),  one  broom  bag,  two  oven  cloths,  two 
polish  cloths,  and  two  floorcloths. 

This  closet  is  to  be  cleaned  like  the  closet  which  con- 
tains the  groceries.  Remove  things  from  one  shelf  at  a 
time.  Lay  in  straight  piles  on  the  table,  which  has  been 
previously  covered  with  a  newspaper.  Dust  the  closet 
and  scrub  as  before,  beginning  with  the  top  shelf.  Dry 
and  air  thoroughly.  Return  towels  in  even  piles. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  the  name  of  each  set  of 
towels  lettered  on  the  edge  of  the  shelf  at  its  respective 
place. 

In  this  closet  may  also  be  kept  ironing  board  cover, 
wax,  sandpaper,  ironstand,  holder,  box  of  bluing,  and 
old  cloths  for  testing  flatirons. 

LESSON    VI 

LEFT-OVER  and  perishable  foods  may  be  kept  on  a 
covered  shelf  outside  the  window  or  in  the  ice  box.  This 
shelf  serves  the  purpose  of  a  refrigerator  while  the 
weather  is  cool.  It  must  be  covered  to  keep  out  dust, 
with  a  slanting  roof  to  allow  rain  or  snow  to  run  off. 
Holes  can  be  bored  in  the  back  and  sides  to  admit  air. 
An  enamel  cloth  curtain  in  front  finishes  the  shelf. 

Window  shelf  and  ice  box  must  be  especially  cared 
for.  A  close  or  not  perfectly  clean  ice  box  scents  the 
food.  The  least  particle  of  food  allowed  to  spoil  in  the 
ice  box  gives  a  bad  odor  to  fresh  food. 


36  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

The  exposed  window  shelf  needs  a  thorough  scrub- 
bing twice  a  week  and  a  daily  dusting. 

To  clean  window  box : 

Remove  the  contents  of  the  shelf.  Place  them  on  a 
newspaper  in  some  suitable  place.  Brush  and  wipe  off 
the  top  of  the  box.  Wash  the  inside  first  with  hot  water 
and  sal  soda,  then  scrub  as  before.  The  enamel  curtain 
should  be  washed  with  soap  and  water.  Soda  is  apt  to 
make  it  crack. 

The  cover  of  the  shelf  can  be  made  to  hook  on  to  the 
window  casing ;  in  that  case  the  cover  is  unhooked,  taken 
to  the  sink  and  washed  thoroughly,  and  the  outside  shelf 
cleaned  separately. 

The  window  box  must  be  perfectly  dry  before  return- 
ing the  contents.  Water-soaked  wood  scents  food. 

To  clean  the  ice  box  : 

Be  sure  that  the  drain  pipe  of  the  ice  box  is  in  no  way 
connected  with  other  household  plumbing,  as  sewer  gas 
will  be  admitted  to  the  house  if  it  is. 

A  pan  for  water  is  commonly  found  under  the  ice 
box.  This  must  be  cleaned  twice  a  week,  at  the  same 
time  the  ice  box  is  cleaned. 

In  cleaning  the  ice  box  remove  all  food  and  ice,  and 
wash  inside  of  the  box  with  hot  suds ;  rinse  with  hot  soda 
water,  and  again  with  clear  hot  water.  Take  special  care, 
in  scrubbing  off  racks  and  shelves,  that  no  particles  of 
food  are  left  in  the  grooves.  Use  a  skewer  to  dig  out  the 
corners.  Draw  an  old  cloth  through  the  drain  pipe,  as 
some  dirt  always  lodges  there.  Dry  the  ice  box  and  air 
it  for  an  hour. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  37 

Care  of  the  bread  box  may  also  be  considered  in 
this  lesson. 

Each  week  the  bread  box  should  be  emptied  and 
washed  in  a  mild  solution  of  soda  and  hot  water,  rinsed 
thoroughly,  dried  by  the  stove,  and  aired  in  the  sun  if 
possible.  If  box  is  not  entirely  dried,  the  bread  will 
quickly  become  mouldy. 

Care  of  perishable  food  : 

Milk  and  butter  should  be  kept  in  tightly  covered 
receptacles.  Both  absorb  odors  and  collect  dust  when 
uncovered. 

To  keep  milk  over  night  without  ice,  scald  it  and 
cover  tightly  when  cooled. 

Bread  and  cake  keep  best  in  covered  tins  or  earthen 
jars. 

Never  place  olive  oil  directly  on  the  ice.  Freezing 
injures  it. 

LESSON    VII 

THERE  is  still  another  closet  in  the  kitchen  that  must 
be  cleaned  each  week  exactly  as  the  food  closet  is  cleaned. 
We  must  also  learn  how  to  keep  its  contents  in  good  con- 
dition. This  is  the  closet  holding  the  cooking  utensils, 
pots,  pans,  etc. 

In  most  tenements  these  closets  are  built  over  the 
washtubs  and  sink,  and  the  top  shelf  is  most  inconvenient 
to  reach.  Choose  a  certain  place  for  each  pot  and  pan, 
placing  those  used  most  frequently  on  the  lower  shelves. 
Hooks  under  shelves  are  convenient  for  hanging  sauce- 
pans and  tea  and  coffee  pots. 


38  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

In  this  closet  are  iron,  tin,  agate,  porcelain,  and  stove 
ware,  sometimes  copper  and  aluminum.  Aluminum  is 
quite  expensive,  and  copper  requires  too  much  care  for 
use  in  ordinary  housekeeping.  Ironware  is  excellent  for 
holding  heat  and  becomes  smooth  and  improves  with  use. 
Agate  and  enamel  ware  are  very  good,  but  crack  and 
break  if  not  washed  and  dried  properly.  A  half-dried 
agate  kettle  put  on  a  stove  to  dry  is  apt  to  crack.  If  an 
agate-lined  teakettle  is  allowed  to  boil  dry,  the  lining  will 
crack  and  break  off.  Careful  soaking  to  prevent  the 
necessity  of  scraping  these  utensils  helps  greatly 
in  preserving  them.  Never  use  a  knife ;  use  paper  to 
wipe  out  the  worst  dirt.  Wipe  off  any  utensil 
blackened  by  the  stove  with  a  piece  of  paper  before 
washing  it. 

The  care  of  tinware  has  been  considered  in  a  previous 
lesson. 

Ironware  if  properly  treated  seldom  becomes  rusty. 
Acids  and  moisture  are  what  cause  iron  to  rust. 

To  remove  rust : 

Kerosene  and  ashes  will  remove  rust.  First  apply  the 
kerosene  and  ashes,  then  wash  the  utensil  in  strong,  hot 
soda  water  and  rinse  in  clean  hot  water.  Dry  on  the 
stove.  If  iron  is  very  rusty,  cover  it  thoroughly  with 
some  sort  of  grease  (mutton  fat  is  good).  Sprinkle  with 
lime  and  let  it  stand  over  night.  Wash  next  morning  in 
hot  soda  water,  rinse  in  clean  hot  water.  Dry  thoroughly. 
Care  must  be  taken  with  the  latter  method,  as  lime  is 
hard  on  the  hands.  A  very  rusty  sink  may  be  cleaned  in 
this  manner. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  39 

The  inside  of  a  tin  teakettle  often  becomes  rusty 
through  lack  of  proper  care.  Boiling  water  causes  steam 
to  collect,  and  this  on  cooling  causes  rust.  If  a  teakettle 
is  emptied,  dried,  and  turned  upside  down  each  night,  no 
rust  or  deposit  will  collect. 

Coffee  and  tea  pots  must  be  cleaned  daily  or  they  will 
smell.  First,  free  them  from  grounds,  rinse  in  cold  water, 
wash  in  hot,  soapy  water,  scald  and  dry.  Let  the  inside 
of  the  pots  air  well  after  washing. 


LESSON    VIII 

THIS  lesson  is  a  thorough  cleaning  of  the  kitchen.  A 
kitchen  should  be  cleaned  once  a  week.  The  first  thing 
to  be  done  is  to  clean  out  every  closet  and  drawer,  win- 
dow shelf  and  ice  box,  and  shut  them  up  tight.  A 
methodical  housekeeper  to  save  time  would  probably  do 
this  the  day  before.  In  this  case  closet  cleaning  has  been 
done  before  the  class  comes,  the  children  having  practiced 
closet  cleaning  in  previous  lessons. 

To  clean  kitchen : 

First,  dust  and  take  from  the  room  everything  that 
can  be  moved.  Do  the  stove  cleaning  next,  as  this  is  the 
dirtiest  work.  Then  sweep  the  floor ;  cover  a  broom  with 
a  rag  and  wipe  off  the  ceiling ;  next  wipe  the  walls ;  and 
last  wipe  all  woodwork  with  a  woolen  cloth.  Sweep  the 
floor  a  second  time.  The  woodwork  and  shelves  must 
now  be  thoroughly  cleaned. 

The  cleaning  of  painted  woodwork  is  new  to  the  chil- 
dren, and  is  done  as  follows: 


4O  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

To  clean  woodwork : 

Dust  the  woodwork  with  a  cloth  after  the  walls  are 
dusted.  Wash  with  warm  water  (not  hot)  and  soap. 
Soda  and  Sapolio  remove  paint,  and  should  not  be  used. 
A  brush  is  also  necessary  to  take  dust  from  grooves,  and 
two  cloths,  one  for  washing  and  one  for  drying.  Add  a 
few  drops  of  Sulpho-Napthol  or  other  disinfectant  to  the 
cleaning  water. 

While  the  shelves  are  drying,  wash  the  windows.  This 
will  have  to  be  worked  in  from  time  to  time  with  other 
lessons,  as  all  the  pupils  cannot  clean  windows  at  one 
time,  and  every  child  must  do  with  her  own  hands  every 
piece  of  work. 

To  wash  windows  : 

Use  a  pan  of  hot  water,  a  duster,  two  cleaning  cloths, 
and  a  dish  of  Bon  Ami.  Place  them  on  a  newspaper  near 
the  window.  Bon  Ami  is  but  one  of  many  things  used 
for  washing  windows. 

Dust  the  window,  and  apply  a  thick  suds  of  Bon  Ami. 
Let  it  dry,  and  rub  off  with  a  dry  cloth.  Rinse  the 
washing  cloth  in  the  water  and  wipe  off  the  woodwork 
around  the  windowpanes.  Newspaper  is  very  good  for 
polishing  windows. 

Besides  a  weekly  cleaning,  windows  should  be  washed 
every  time  they  look  dirty,  as  after  a  rain. 

A  little  alcohol  added  to  the  water  in  the  winter 
prevents  its  freezing. 

Windows  should  be  dusted  every  day. 

Second  Method.  To  clean  windows,  add  a  few  drops 
of  kerosene  and  ammonia  to  a  pan  of  hot  water.  Use  a 
duster,  two  cleaning  cloths,  and  newspaper. 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  4! 

Dust  the  windows,  wash,  dry  and  polish. 

Last,  wash  the  floor.  This  is  also  new  work,  but 
similar  to  scrubbing  the  table. 

For  cleaning  the  floor,  have  a  pail  01  hot  water,  a 
floor  brush,  floorcloth,  and  soap.  Soda  may  be  used  or 
Gold  Dust.  Sapolio  makes  a  floor  look  well,  but  is  ex- 
pensive unless  the  left-over  pieces  are  kept  and  used  for 
this  purpose. 

The  condition  of  the  floor  must  decide  which  cleaning 
agent  to  use.  A  very  greasy  floor  needs  soda. 

First,  sweep  the  floor,  then  wash  a  small  space  at  a 
time  and  wipe  off  with  a  wet  cloth ;  scrub  with  soap, 
following  the  grain  of  the  wood ;  rinse  and  dry  with  a 
cloth  wrung  out  in  the  scrubbing  pail.  Change  the 
scrubbing  water  very  often. 

Return  the  utensils  to  the  kitchen  when  the  floor  is 
dry. 

LESSON    IX 

THIS  lesson  is  to  be  arranged  according  to  the  age 
and  intelligence  of  the  pupils.  Cook  a  breakfast  or  a 
supper,  very  simple  if  the  children  are  young. 

Serve  the  meal  nicely  in  the  kitchen. 

The  clearing  up  work  should  be  done  by  the  pupils 
with  no  help  from  the  teacher,  as  it  is  all  review. 

If  the  pupils  have  been  faithful,  make  them  realize 
that  they  have  accomplished  one  of  the  chief  parts  of 
housekeeping  in  thoroughly  knowing  kitchen  work,  and 
now  only  practice  and  determination  are  needed  for 
perfection. 


42  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Emphasize  the  passing  from  the  kitchen  to  the  bed- 
room work,  which  is  to  be  taken  up  in  the  next  lesson. 

Housework  can  be  very  dull,  but  when  it  becomes  an 
art,  it  is  interesting.  When  a  child  realizes  that  she  is 
gradually  mastering  an  art,  she  has  the  desire  and  ambi- 
tion to  go  on. 

LESSON    X 
Bed  Lesson 

THE  best  mattress  for  a  bed  is  made  of  hair,  but  this 
is  the  most  expensive.  Cotton  mattresses  are  good  and 
less  expensive.  Excelsior  mattresses  are  often  used.  An 
excelsior  mattress  will  be  found  to  be  more  comfortable 
covered  with  a  cotton  pad  (quite  thick)  or  an  old 
blanket.  A  feather  mattress  is  bad ;  it  absorbs  the  mois- 
ture from  the  body,  and  it  is  not  good  for  the  back,  as  one 
should  have  the  back  as  flat  as  possible  during  sleep. 

Turn  the  mattress  every  day,  and  let  it  air  at  least  an 
hour,  so  placed  that  air  can  reach  both  sides. 

Too  high  a  pillow  is  bad  for  the  back.  If  one  is 
accustomed  to  a  high  pillow  it  will  be  hard  to  do  without 
it  all  at  once,  but  each  night  one  may  lower  it  a  little  until 
one  low  pillow  only  is  used,  or  better  still  none  at  all. 

Each  bed  must  have  two  sheets.  Sheets  should  be 
two  and  three-fourths  yards  long.  This  not  only  is  long 
enough  to  tuck  in  well,  but  protects  mattress  and 
blankets.  Cheap  sheets  are  seldom  long  enough. 

Cotton  and  woolen  blankets  are  better  than  comfort- 
ers, excepting  in  winter,  when  both  are  needed.  The 
blankets  wash ;  they  allow  some  air  to  get  through,  and 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  43 

they  do  not  hold  the  moisture  of  the  body  as  comforters 
do.  Feather  beds  must  not  be  used  as  covering. 

Cover  the  mattress  with  a  pad  to  keep  clean  and  to 
make  the  bed  comfortable. 

Have  a  spread  for  the  bed  of  a  kind  that  will  wash 
easily.  Dimity  is  best. 

Every  morning  throw  the  bedding  over  chairs  and 
allow  it  to  air  for  an  hour,  or  while  breakfast  is  being 
prepared  and  eaten.  If  bedroom  and  dining-room  are 
one,  air  the  bed  after  breakfast. 

The  bed  should  be  made  with  square  corners,  as  in 
hospitals. 

As  a  preventive  of  bedbugs,  once  a  week  wash  all 
grooves  of  the  bed  with  kerosene  and  hot,  soapy  water. 

If  bugs  get  into  the  bed,  first  wash  it  with  soap  and 
water,  then  with  a  solution  of  carbolic  acid,  and  repeat 
until  all  signs  of  them  are  gone.  Bedbugs  hide  chiefly  in 
cracks,  in  castors,  and  under  the  tufting  of  the  mattress. 
If  they  get  into  the  mattress,  soak  it  with  naphtha.  If 
this  becomes  necessary,  be  sure  that  no  fire  is  near,  open 
all  the  windows,  and  after  pouring  on  the  naphtha,  lock 
the  door  of  the  room  and  leave  it  closed  for  a  day  to 
allow  the  gas  to  pass  off.  Do  not  teach  the  younger 
children  anything  about  naphtha. 

Clean  the  washstand  thoroughly  every  morning.  In 
almost  all  tenement  homes  the  kitchen  sink  is  used  in 
place  of  a  washstand.  This  lesson  applies  to  the  excep- 
tion. 

To  clean  the  washstand,  pour  soiled  water  from  the 
bowl  into  the  slop  jar,  take  the  water  which  remains  in 
the  pitcher  and  wash  out  the  bowl,  wiping  thoroughly 
with  a  cloth  kept  for  this  purpose. 


44  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Wash  off  every  part  of  washstand,  and  wash  the 
soap  dish. 

Take  the  pitcher,  rinse  out  and  refill.  Now  take 
chamber  and  slop  jar,  wash  in  hot  water  (use  ammonia), 
and  wipe  with  cloth  that  is  used  for  nothing  else.  It  is 
well  to  have  the  chamber  cloth  marked  so  as  to  keep  it 
separate.  Always  see  that  there  are  fresh  towels  and 
washcloths. 

To  dust  room : 

Never  use  a  feather  duster.  With  a  dry  duster  wipe 
the  windows,  mirrors,  brass,  china,  and  books.  Then 
dampen  the  duster  and  wipe  each  article,  dust  the  place 
where  it  stood,  and  replace  it.  Wipe  off  all  woodwork 
with  a  damp  duster. 


LESSON    XI 

Dining-Room  Work 

THE  morning  work  in  the  dining-room  consists,  first, 
in  airing  room  while  breakfast  is  being  prepared,  dusting 
before  breakfast,  and  setting  the  table. 

Use  plain  but  well-laundered  doilies  with  a  bare  table 
in  preference  to  tablecloth,  as  these  are  easily  washed 
and  ironed,  and  a  spot  on  one  does  not  mean  that  all  must 
be  washed. 

The  first  thing  to  place  on  the  table  is  a  centerpiece — 
flowers  if  possible,  or  fruit,  or  one  of  the  dishes  of  food. 

The  plates  come  next,  set  at  even  distances  apart. 

Knives  and  spoons  should  be  placed  at  the  right,  the 
sharp  edge  of  the  knife  towards  the  plate. 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  45 

Forks  and  napkins  at  the  left. 

Glasses  at  the  top  of  the  knives,  three-quarters  full  of 
water. 

On  the  table  must  be  pepper,  salt,  bread,  butter,  a 
pitcher  of  water,  a  small  pitcher  of  milk,  and  sugar.  The 
other  things  on  the  table  depend  upon  what  is  to  be 
served  for  breakfast. 

Place  the  chairs  at  the  table  the  last  thing. 

After  the  meal  is  over,  take  away  the  chairs  first  and 
pile  the  dishes  neatly  after  taking  them  to  the  kitchen. 
Brush  the  crumbs  from  the  table,  put  away  the  doilies 
in  the  place  kept  especially  for  table  linen,  putting  soiled 
ones  in  the  wash. 

Brush  up  under  the  table. 

Unless  very  cold,  leave  the  window  open  a  little  from 
the  top. 

LESSON    XII 

THIS  lesson  takes  up  the  necessary  morning  work  of 
the  average  household  without  the  cooking.  Have  the 
children  understand  that  every  day  of  their  lives  this 
work  must  be  done. 

Order  of  Work 

Immediately  after  rising  take  the  bedclothes  from  the 
bedstead  and  spread  them  over  chairs.  As  soon  as 
dressed,  open  the  windows  and  turn  the  mattress  so  that 
the  air  may  reach  both  sides.  Open  the  windows  from 
the  top  as  well  as  the  bottom,  so  that  bad  air  can  go  out 
and  fresh  air  come  in.  No  matter  how  cold  the  weather, 
always  open  the  windows  at  night  and  in  the  morning,  to 


46  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

air  the  room.  Explain  about  the  bad  air  in  the  room  and 
the  necessity  of  starting  with  something  fresh  to  breathe 
through  the  day. 

After  breakfast  has  been  eaten  and  dishes  piled  (but 
not  washed)  return  to  the  bedroom.  The  first  thing  to 
do,  before  making  the  bed,  is  to  pick  up  and  put  away 
all  clothes,  shoes,  etc.,  which  have  been  left  about  the 
room.  Make  the  bed.  Brush  up  the  floor.  Dust  the 
room  thoroughly. 

After  dusting  the  room,  as  in  the  last  lesson,  clean 
the  washstand.  Then  shake  out  the  duster  and  cleaning 
cloths  and  put  them  aside  to  be  washed  later.  Give  the 
room  a  last  look  to  see  that  everything  is  put  away,  cur- 
tains even,  chairs  straight,  and  the  room  ready  for  the 
day. 

Now  return  to  the  kitchen  and  wash  dishes.  Clean 
the  sink.  After  seeing  that  the  kitchen  is  thoroughly 
cleaned,  wash  out  all  dish  towels  and  cleaning  cloths. 


COURSE  II 

•WHEN  a  pupil  has  her  first  course  card  entirely 
punched,  and  has  satisfactorily  passed  the  examination, 
she  is  promoted  to  Course  II,  and  receives  the  following : 

Card  for  Course  II 


The  holder  of  this  card  has 

1  Swept  and  dusted  dining-room. 

2  Set  table. 

3  Prepared  breakfast. 

4  Served  breakfast. 

5  Cared  for  linen  and  linen  drawer. 

6  Cleaned  silver. 

7  Cleaned  knives. 

8  Cleaned  brass. 

9  Cleaned  lamps. 

10  Cared  (daily)  for  lamps. 

1 1  Thoroughly  cleaned  dining-room. 

12  Made  starch. 

13  Washed  and  ironed  bed  linen  or  towels. 

14  Washed  and  ironed  table  linen  or  curtains. 

15  Covered  ironing  board. 

1 6  Prepared  meal  for  sick. 

17  Made  and  served  tea. 


47 


48  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

LESSON    I 

IT  is  understood  that  no  child  begins  this  course  who 
has  not  passed  a  satisfactory  examination  in  the  work  of 
the  first  course.  Having  learned  the  daily  work  of  the 
bedroom,  dining-room,  and  the  every-day  dishwashing 
and  cleaning  up,  this  lesson  will  take  up  the  cooking  and 
serving  of  a  breakfast,  so  that  in  the  following  week's 
lesson  all  the  morning  work  can  be  fitted  together  as  it 
must  be  every  day. 

In  cooking  a  breakfast,  the  first  thing  is  to  see  that 
the  fire  is  started,  the  teakettle  filled  and  put  on  to  boil. 
Then  air  and  dust  the  dining-room.  This  is  not  the  time 
to  buy  food ;  it  interrupts  the  regular  morning's  work. 
See  before  going  to  bed  at  night  that  the  materials  for 
breakfast  are  in  the  house.  There  is  an  almost  universal 
tendency  to  "run  out  and  buy"  before  each  meal. 

With  kettle  boiling  and  dining-room  aired  and  dusted, 
place  on  the  kitchen  table  all  the  cooking  materials  re- 
quired for  breakfast.  A  good  breakfast  is  a  cereal  with 
milk  and  sugar,  coffee  or  cocoa,  boiled  eggs,  and  bread 
and  butter.  As  soon  as  these  things  are  set  out,  start  the 
cereal,  using  water  from  the  teakettle.  See  that  there  is 
enough  water  in  the  kettle  for  boiling  eggs  and  making 
coffee.  Grind  the  coffee  and  put  it  into  the  coffeepot. 
After  scalding  the  pot  use  two  tablespoon fuls  of  coffee 
to  a  cupful  of  boiling  water.  Place  on  the  shelf  of  stove, 
to  be  made  later.  Put  the  eggs  on  the  shelf,  in  a  small 
saucepan.  Cut  bread  and  put  it  on  a  pretty  dish.  Put 
butter  on  a  small  saucer,  if  there  is  no  butter  dish.  Fill 
the  pitcher  with  milk  and  leave  it  in  a  cold  place. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  49 

Leave  the  cereal  still  cooking,  and,  timing  it 
of  course,  go  to  the  dining-room  and  set  the  table. 
After  the  review  of  the  general  table  setting,  see  if  the 
children,  with  the  written  menu  before  them,  can  think 
of  all  the  things  needed  for  the  table.  Place  saucers 
for  the  cereal  near  the  stove  where  they  will  get 
warm. 

Pour  boiling  water  on  the  coffee  and  let  it  boil  for 
ten  minutes.  Put  aside  for  five  minutes  and  let  it  set- 
tle. Or  ground  coffee  may  be  put  into  cold  water  and 
placed  on  the  stove.  When  it  boils  take  it  from  the  stove, 
and  serve  after  it  has  settled. 

When  the  cereal  is  ready,  place  it  in  a  heated  dish. 
Put  the  cereal  and  coffee  on  the  table.  Cover  the  eggs 
with  boiling  water  and  set  at  one  side  of  the  stove  for 
ten  minutes.  The  eggs  may  be  put  into  cold  water,  if 
desired;  they  will  be  ready  to  serve  as  soon  as  the  water 
boils. 

Last  of  all,  fill  the  glasses.  In  hot  weather  keep  but- 
ter and  milk  in  a  cold  place  until  the  rest  of  the  meal  is 
ready  to  serve. 

After  breakfast,  clear  the  table  as  in  last  lesson. 


LESSON    II 

THE  new  thing  in  this  lesson  is  the  fitting  together  of 
all  the  morning  work,  so  that  it  can  be  done,  and  done 
well,  in  an  hour  and  a  half ;  for  a  busy  woman  seldom 
has  more  time  than  that  to  give.  Try  to  make  the  chil- 
dren realize  that  confusion  is  due  to  lack  of  order,  and 
running  back  and  forth  with  no  method. 


5O  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Rules  for  the  work  preceding  and  following  breakfast: 

First,  make  a  fire,  put  water  into  kettle  to  boil,  wash 
and  dress. 

Second,  air  the  bed,  placing  the  bedclothes  across  a 
chair;  open  windows. 

Third,  air  the  dining-room ;  even  if  cold,  open  the 
window  a  little. 

Fourth,  start  cooking  the  breakfast. 

Fifth,  set  the  table. 

Sixth,  finish  cooking  and  serve  the  breakfast. 

Seventh,  clear  the  table,  pile  dishes  for  washing,  brush 
up  under  dining-room  table,  put  water  to  boil  for  dish 
washing  later,  if  there  is  no  hot  water  from  the  pipes. 

Eighth,  make  the  bed  and  dust  and  clean  the  bedroom. 

Ninth,  wash  the  dishes  and  put  the  kitchen  in  order. 


LESSON    III 

So  far  we  have  never  cleaned  a  room  thoroughly  ex- 
cepting the  kitchen.  All  of  the  rooms  should  be  cleaned 
once  a  week.  Today  we  are  to  give  the  front  room  this 
thorough  cleaning. 

As  taught  in  a  previous  cleaning  lesson,  all  closets 
and  drawers  should  be  cleaned  first. 

With  this  done,  dust  all  movable  things,  including 
pictures,  and  place  them  in  another  room.  Take  curtains 
down  if  possible ;  if  not,  pin  them  up.  Cover  pieces  of 
furniture  too  heavy  to  move,  after  dusting  each  one. 
Sweep  floor  with  windows  closed.  Now  open  windows ; 
brush  ceiling  and  walls  with  a  covered  broom.  Sweep 
again  with  a  damp  cloth  on  broom.  Allow  dust  to 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  5! 

settle.  Then  clean  the  woodwork  as  taught  in  a  previous 
lesson,  also  the  windows.  Uncover  the  furniture.  If 
there  is  a  stained  floor,  oil  it  the  last  thing. 

Do  not  forget  to  dust  the  gas  fixtures.  Never  try  to 
clean  them  with  polish.  It  is  not  satisfactory,  and  hard 
rubbing  will  loosen  them. 

Wash  the  glass  of  all  the  pictures  before  rehanging 
them.  If  curtains  have  been  taken  down,  shake  them 
well — out  of  doors  if  possible. 

All  brass  and  nickel  should  be  cleaned  before  return- 
ing it  to  the  room,  if  it  is  not  already  polished.  Some 
housekeepers  have  a  regular  day  for  polishing  their 
brass,  silver,  and  nickel. 

The  cleaning  of  brass,  silver,  and  nickel  will  be  given 
in  the  following  lesson. 

After  a  room  has  been  cleaned,  see  that  it  looks  or- 
derly. A  room  may  be  clean  and  yet  not  attractive.  See 
that  the  shades  are  even,  the  chairs  straight,  the  blotter 
clean,  inkwell  clean  and  filled,  plants  watered  and  dead 
leaves  taken  off. 

In  a  thorough  cleaning  lesson,  arrange  the  work  so  as 
to  keep  each  child  as  busy  as  possible.  It  is  not  natural 
for  a  child  to  gain  knowledge  by  watching  others  work ; 
she  must  have  her  own  hands  constantly  occupied. 


LESSON    IV 

BRASS,  silver,  and  nickel  must  be  polished  when  they 
become  tarnished. 

Dampness  tarnishes  brass  and  nickel.  Gas,  food,  and 
dampness  tarnish  silver. 


52  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

In  cleaning  brass  it  is  necessary  to  use  some  substance 
to  remove  the  dirt,  tarnish,  and  corrosion,  and  also  a  dry 
polish,  to  give  it  a  higher  luster. 

To  clean  brass  : 

First  collect  the  necessary  implements. 

A  newspaper  to  protect  the  table. 

An  old  tray  upon  which  to  set  the  article  to  be 
cleaned. 

Wet  polish. 

Dry  polish.     (Whiting  or  silver  powder  is  good.) 

A  cheesecloth  for  dusting. 

Three  pieces  of  old  cloth. 

A  polish  cloth.  Tissue  paper,  or  newspaper,  may  be 
substituted  for  this  cloth. 

Never  use  good  cloths  of  any  kind  for  hard  cleaning. 
It  wears  them  full  of  holes. 

Method. — Dust  the  brass.  Apply  wet  polish  with  an 
old  piece  of  cloth,  rubbing  very  hard.  This  cloth  usually 
becomes  very  dirty  and  has  to  be  thrown  away. 

Use  a  piece  of  match  stick  under  cloth  to  remove  dirt 
from  cracks  and  grooves. 

Wipe  off  the  wet  polish,  which  loosens  the  dirt,  with 
a  second  piece  of  cloth.  With  a  third,  apply  the  dry 
polish.  Rub  with  polish  cloth. 

Brass  will  stay  bright  twice  as  long  i£  treated  with  a 
final  dry  polish. 

To  clean  silver: 

Collect   newspaper,    old   tray,    silver   polish,    saucer, 
alcohol  or  water,  duster,  and  two  pieces  of  old  cloth. 
Method. — Dust  the  silver. 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  53 

Mix  some  silver  polish  and  alcohol  in  a  saucer.  Rub 
this  on  the  silver  and  lay  it  aside  on  a  piece  of  newspaper 
to  dry.  When  thoroughly  dry,  polish  off  with  another 
cloth.  A  soft  brush  is  necessary  to  remove  the  polish 
from  grooves  or  designs. 

Wash  the  silver  in  hot  water  before  returning  it  to 
the  drawer. 

To  clean  nickel : 

Nickel  may  be  cleaned  in  the  same  way  as  silver. 

Wash  all  cloths  that  can  be  used  again. 
Have  the  children   form  the   habit  of   washing  out 
cloths  used  in  any  kind  of  housework. 

LESSON    V 

BEFORE  graduation  it  is  well  to  have  one  more  lesson 
in  the  thorough  cleaning  of  a  room.  This  time  the  bed- 
room may  be  chosen. 

This  lesson  should  be  made  a  final  review  of  all  work 
given  in  previous  room-cleaning  lessons. 

LESSON    VI 
Gas 

WE  have  not  yet  taken  into  consideration  the  lighting 
of  our  homes.  This  lesson  can  be  made  very  interesting 
by  studying  and  talking  over  the  ways  of  lighting,  how 
candles  are  made,  etc. 

In  most  apartments  gas  is  used.  Remember,  regard- 
ing gas,  that  it  is  an  expense.  Turn  out  the  gas  when 
not  in  use;  matches  are  cheap,  gas  is  not.  If  you  smell 


54  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

gas  when  the  burner  is  turned  off  there  is  a  leak  some- 
where which  must  be  attended  to  at  once.  Gas  is  un- 
healthy to  breathe,  and  a  leak  means  waste  of  money. 
If  a  smell  of  gas  is  noticed  in  a  room,  do  not  strike  a 
match  until  the  windows  have  been  opened,  lest  there  be 
an  explosion.  If  gas  burns  with  a  noise  or  sputter,  there 
is  something  wrong  with  the  mixer,  and  gas  is  being 
wasted. 

If  there  are  globes  over  the  gas,  dust  them  every  time 
the  room  is  swept.  Wash  them  if  they  look  at  all  dingy. 

In  dusting  gas  fixtures,  be  careful  not  to  twist  or 
wrench  them.  Never  use  a  polish  on  ordinary  fixtures. 

Lamps 

Lamps  may  be  used  as  well  as  the  gas.  Kerosene  is 
less  expensive  than  gas.  A  low  lamplight  is  better  to 
read  by  and  looks  prettier. 

The  daily  cleaning  of  the  lamps  must  also  be  thought 
of. 

Daily  Cleaning  of  Lamps 

Two  lamp  cloths,  a  basin  of  water,  and  a  duster  are 
needed. 

First,  dust  the  chimney,  shade,  and  body  of  the  lamp. 
Wash  the  chimney.  If  sooty,  clean  with  newspaper  be- 
fore washing.  Next,  turn  the  wick  high  enough  to  show 
all  the  charred  part ;  cut  this  off,  making  it  perfectly  even, 
then  rub  with  a  piece  of  soft  paper.  Wipe  off  the  burner, 
also  any  part  of  the  lamp  that  seems  oily.  Dry  with 
another  cloth.  Fill  the  reservoir  within  an  inch  of  the 
top,  leaving  plenty  of  room  for  the  gas  which  may  be 
generated. 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  55 

A  bright  light  comes  from  clean  burners.  When 
lighting  the  lamp,  turn  the  wick  down,  allowing  the 
chimney  to  become  heated  slowly. 

In  putting  the  lamp  out,  blow  across  the  chimney, 
never  down  into  it,  as  this  might  send  the  flame  down 
into  the  kerosene. 

If  it  is  necessary  to  move  a  lighted  lamp,  first  turn 
the  wick  low.  The  flaring  up  of  the  flame  smokes  the 
chimney. 

Thorough  Cleaning  of  Lamps 

This  need  not  be  done  oftener  than  once  a  month,  if 
lamps  have  daily  care. 

For  this  cleaning  take  a  tray,  a  newspaper,  a  duster, 
two  cloths,  a  dish  towel,  scissors,  soft  paper,  kerosene, 
and  a  pan  of  hot  soda  water. 

Cover  the  tray  with  newspaper.  Place  the  lamp  upon 
the  tray  and  take  it  apart.  First,  wash  the  chimney 
and  shade  in  hot  water  and  dry  with  a  towel;  polish, 
using  soft  paper  if  there  is  no  chamois. 

Boil  every  part  of  the  burner  in  the  hot  soda  water. 
Fill  the  reservoir  with  kerosene  up  to  an  inch  from  the 
top.  Trim,  but  never  wash,  the  wicks.  Put  new  ones  in 
if  the  old  wicks  are  dirty.  Put  parts  of  the  burner 
together;  rub  all  well.  See  that  all  is  tight,  that  the 
wick  is  even  and  the  chimney  is  clear. 

Put  the  cloths  to  soak.    Wash  and  boil  them. 

Keep  an  old  pan  exclusively  for  cleaning  lamps,  for 
the  odor  of  the  kerosene  is  lasting  and  would  ruin  pans 
for  other  use. 

Remember  that  especial  care  must  be  taken  whenever 


56  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

kerosene  is  used.     A  drop  on  the  table  or  on  the  hands 
may  spoil  a  whole  dinner. 


LESSON    VII 

THIS  might  almost  be  called  a  lesson  in  plumbing, 
since  it  considers  not  only  the  cleaning  of  the  bathroom, 
but  also  a  study  of  the  pipes,  the  closet,  and  the  causes 
of  sewer  gas. 

First,  in  cleaning,  dust  and  take  from  the  bathroom 
all  movable  things.  These  will  be  a  bag  or  box  for  tissue 
paper,  toilet  paper,  soap  dish,  bar  for  towels  and  wash 
cloths,  etc.  Besides  these  things  there  must  be  in  every 
bathroom  a  brush  for  cleaning  the  water  closet  and  a 
cloth  for  cleaning  the  chamber. 

Now  that  all  movable  things  have  been  taken  from  the 
bathroom,  brush  the  floor  with  a  covered  broom,  wash 
the  water-closet,  using  the  closet  brush  with  hot  soda 
water  and  a  good  cleaning  cloth.  Do  not  use  a  linty 
cloth  in  the  closet  or  tub. 

Close  the  closet,  after  putting  down  chloride  of  lime, 
and  with  covered  broom  brush  the  walls.  Wipe  the  floor 
again  and  wash  all  the  woodwork  around  the  tub  and 
closet ;  give  the  floor  a  thorough  scrubbing  after  washing 
the  tub. 

Wash  out  bathtub  (not  with  sand  soaps  of  any  kind, 
since  they  scratch,  but  with  soap  and  water).  A  tin  tub 
may  be  brightened  with  Dutch  Cleanser  or  Sapolio,  and 
a  porcelain  tub  may  have  yellow  stains  removed  with 
turpentine.  Kerosene  is  especially  good  for  removing 
stains  from  porcelain  tubs;  use  it  before  washing  tub 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  57 

with  soap  and  water.  Clean  all  nickel  connected  with  the 
bathroom  as  silver  was  cleaned.  Then  wash  the  window. 

At  least  once  a  week  pour  boiling  soda  water  down 
the  water-closet  pipe;  flush  well  afterwards. 

Teach  children  always  to  flush  the  water-closet 
well.  This  means  holding  the  chain  for  two  or  three 
seconds.  Explain  the  shape  of  the  pipe  under  the  closet. 
(It  is  well  to  have  a  curved  glass  medicine  tube  to  illus- 
trate the  trap.)  The  water  seal  at  the  curve  of  the  trap 
must  be  filled  with  fresh  water.  A  straight  tube  would 
allow  sewer  gas  to  get  back  into  the  house. 


LESSONS    VIII   AND    IX 

THE  next  six  are  laundry  lessons.  Where  there  is 
too  much  to  be  taught  at  one  time,  the  lessons  are 
grouped  together,  to  be  divided  at  the  discretion  of  the 
teacher. 

The  preparation  of  the  clothes  for  washing  is  very 
important.  First  sort  the  clothes,  putting  them  into 
separate  piles : 

Table  linen.  Colored  clothes. 

Body  linen.  Flannels. 

Bed  linen.  Stockings. 

In  sorting,  look  over  each  piece  for  pins,  tears,  and 
stains.  Remove  all  stains  possible  before  washing,  since 
many  times  washing  sets  stains  permanently.  Pin 
scratches  make  sore  hands.  A  tear  sewed  up  before 
washing  illustrates  the  old  proverb,  "A  stitch  in  time 


HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 


Soaking  clothes  in  cold  water  and  a  little  soap  facili- 
tates washing. 

If  clothes  can  be  soaked,  place  the  most  soiled  in  the 
bottom,  and  fine  clothes  and  table  linen  on  top.  Do  not 
soak  flannels  or  stockings  or  colored  clothes. 


To  remove  stains : 

Stain  Reagent 

Stove          Kerosene 


Blacking 
Paint 

Rust 


Kerosene  or 
turpentine 

Salt  and 
lemon  juice 


Coffee         Boiling  water 


Tea 

Boiling  water 

Cocoa 

Tepid  water 
and  soap 

Wine 

Salt  and  boil- 

ing water 

Grass 

Alcohol  or 

kerosene 

Fruit 

Javelle  water 

Blood 

Cold  or 

Ink 


tepid  water 


Milk 


Method 
Soak  in  kerosene. 

Soak  in  kerosene  or  turpen- 
tine. 

Wet  stain  with  lemon  juice 
and  cover  with  salt.  Place  in 
sun. 

Place    stain    over  bowl    cOid 
pour  on  boiling  water. 
Same  as  for  coffee. 
Wash    with    soap    and    tepid 
water. 

Cover    stain    with    salt    and 
pour  on  boiling  water. 
Wash  in  alcohol  or  kerosene. 

Soak  a  short  time  in  solution 

of  Javelle  water. 

Soak    in    cold    water ;    if    on 

imwashable      article,      cover 

stain  with  wet  starch.     Let  it 

dry   and   brush   off.      Repeat 

until  clean. 

Soak  out  all  ink  possible  with 

water,  then  soak  in  milk. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  59 

THE  following  is  a  good  cleaning  solution  for  taking 
out  spots. 

Cleaning  solution  : 

y2  ounce  Castile  soap 
y$  ounce  alcohol 
Yz  ounce  ether 
ij/3  ounces  ammonia 
i  cup  lukewarm  water 
i  pint  cold  water 

The  alcohol,  ether,  and  ammonia  will  be  mixed  for 
you  by  any  druggist. 

Dissolve  soap  in  the  lukewarm  water;  add  the  cold 
water,  alcohol,  ether,  and  ammonia.  This  makes  one 
quart  of  fluid. 

Javelle  water  : 

4  pounds  washing  soda 
i  gallon  boiling  water 
i  pound  of  chloride  of  lime 

Put  the  soda  into  the  kettle  and  add  boiling  water. 
Boil  fifteen  minutes.   Stir  in  the  lime  and  keep  on  stirring 
until  as  much  as  possible  is  dissolved. 
Strain  and  pour  into  bottles. 

Use  for  cleaning  or  bleaching,  one  cup  to  ten  quarts 
of  water. 

LESSONS    X    AND    XI 

Washing  of  clothes  : 

The  whiteness  of  clothes  depends  upon  rubbing  and 
rinsing.  Some  laundresses  say  that  boiling  is  unnecessary. 


6O  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Have  clothes  sorted,  mended,  and  soaked,  and  washing 
materials  ready. 
Order  of  Work: 

1.  Wash  clothes  in  hot,  soapy  water. 

2.  Rinse  twice  in  hot  water. 

3.  Soap  arid  boil  (if  they  are  to  be  boiled).     Rinse 
again  twice  after  boiling. 

4.  Blue  the  clothes  after  wringing.     (Bluing  water 
should  be  cold  and  sky-blue  when  taken  up  in  the  hand.) 

5.  Starch  all  pieces  which  require  it. 

6.  Shake  out  clothes  thoroughly  and  hang  them  on 
the  line. 

Clean  the  line  before  hanging  out  the  clothes. 
Clothespins,  always  kept  in  the  clothespin  bag,  should  be 
clean. 

Hang  colored  clothes  in  shady  places.  Sun  helps  to 
whiten  white  clothes. 

Very  dirty  coarse  clothes — for  example,  men's  over- 
alls— may  be  washed  easily  by  laying  them  on  the  wash- 
board and  using  a  brush. 

Do  not  let  flannels  lie  in  the  water. 

Wash  stockings  in  fresh  water  and  rinse  twice. 

Starch 

To  make  starch  : 

Judgment  will  soon  teach  the  amount  of  starch  to 
use  for  making  starch  thick  or  thin.  One  tablespoon  ful 
of  starch  to  one  quart  of  boiling  water  is  average  thick- 
ness. 

First  mix  starch  with  a  little  cold  water  until  smooth. 
Add  a  pinch  of  salt,  a  little  lard,  or  a  few  drops  of 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  6l 

kerosene.  Pour  on  boiling  water.  Boil  (stirring  con- 
stantly) about  five  minutes.  Starch  not  cooked  enough 
is  apt  to  stick.  Salt  keeps  it  from  sticking;  grease  gives 
it  smoothness  when  the  clothes  are  ironed. 

Be  sure  the  clothes  are  evenly  starched.  Bluing  may 
be  added  to  starch. 

To  make  cold  starch   (moderately  stiff)  : 
i  tablespoon  starch 
i  pint  cold  water 
y^  teaspoon  borax 

Few  drops  turpentine 

Mix  the  ingredients  and  strain.  Always  stir  thor- 
oughly just  before  using. 

Pieces  to  be  cold-starched  should  be  dry.  Dip  thor- 
oughly, wringing  out  very  dry,  and  roll  in  a  piece  of 
cloth.  Let  stand  one  hour.  Iron  with  a  hot  iron. 

A  thin  piece  of  cloth  used  over  article  ironed  will 
prevent  the  starch  from  sticking  to  the  iron. 


LESSON    XII 

To  wash  silk : 

Use  the  soap  solution  mentioned  before  and  tepid 
water.  Never  rub  silk;  wash  it  with  the  hands.  Rinse 
in  two  waters  and  hang  on  the  line.  When  nearly  dry, 
take  the  pieces  and  spread  on  a  sheet  or  piece  of  cloth, 
rolling  them  up  tightly.  Let  them  stand  at  least  an  hour. 
Press  the  silk  with  a  cool  iron  and  with  a  piece  of  white 
cloth  between  silk  and  iron. 

Ammonia  used  in  water  will  yellow  white  silk. 


62  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Care  of  wash  boiler : 

Tin  boilers  are  apt  to  rust.  Many  clothes  have  been 
ruined  in  this  way.  Always  wipe  the  boiler  thoroughly 
after  rinsing  it.  Turn  it  upside  down  and  dry  near  the 
stove.  When  boiling  clothes,  place  a  towel  in  the  bottom 
of  the  boiler,  so  that  fine  clothes  do  not  touch  the  metal. 

Care  of  stationary  tubs  : 

Rinse  the  tubs  and  air  them  well.  They  must  be 
thoroughly  dried  after  using,  as  damp  tubs  attract 
cockroaches.  The  pupils  must  be  taught  to  care  for  the 
cracks. 

LESSON    XIII 
Ironing 

To  obtain  good  results  when  ironing,  dampen  the 
clothes  thoroughly,  especially  starched  pieces;  and  let 
them  stand,  tightly  rolled,  several  hours  before  ironing. 

Spread  a  clean  cloth  or  paper  on  the  table.  Place  also 
on  the  table  a  bowl  of  water.  Smooth  out  the  clothes ; 
sprinkle  one  at  a  time,  using  the  hand  or  a  clean  brush. 
Plain  articles,  napkins,  towels,  handkerchiefs,  etc.,  may 
be  folded  together.  Pull  out  the  edges  of  each,  lay  one 
on  top  of  the  other,  and  in  folding  turn  in  the  edges. 

The  ironing  board  should  be  firm  and  unwarped; 
the  cover,  tight,  clean,  and  smooth. 

The  board  must  first  be  covered  with  some  thick 
woolen  material.  An  old  blanket  is  good;  it  should  be 
tacked  on.  Cover  this  with  a  white  muslin  cover,  which 
must  be  pinned  on  very  tightly. 

See  that  irons  are  clean  before  putting  on  to  heat. 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  63 

Before  beginning  to  iron,  a  newspaper  and  a  cloth  for 
testing  irons,  an  iron  stand,  a  holder,  wax,  a  bowl  of 
water  and  cloth  for  redampening  clothes,  and  sandpaper 
(or  salt)  to  remove  stickiness  from  the  irons,  should  be 
placed  upon  the  ironing  board  at  the  right  hand. 

Iron  coarser  towels  first,  as  the  irons  become  smoother 
the  longer  they  are  heated. 

Do  not  iron  starched  pieces  until  the  irons  become 
very  hot. 

Iron  each  piece  until  steam  stops  rising,  when  it  will 
be  perfectly  dry.  The  greater  the  pressure  of  the  iron, 
the  smoother  and  more  glossy  the  surface  of  the  material 
will  be. 

Table  linen  should  be  ironed  in  a  single  thickness 
until  it  is  entirely  dry,  then  folded  and  pressed.  There 
should  be  as  few  folds  as  possible  in  a  tablecloth. 

The  borders  of  napkins  and  handkerchiefs  should  be 
ironed  first;  do  not  pull  as  you  iron,  but  measure  by  the 
edge  of  the  table,  keeping  each  article  square  with  the 
edge. 

Each  article  should  be  hung  on  the  frame  to  air  as 
soon  as  it  is  ironed.  Tablecloths,  napkins,  and  handker- 
chiefs are  the  exception;  they  should  be  laid  on  a  flat 
surface. 

Irons  should  be  washed  often  in  hot  soda  water. 

These  are  but  a  few  suggestions  on  laundry  work.  To 
be  a  thoroughly  good  laundress  a  child  must  study  this 
subject  for  weeks.  In  many  cases  it  would  be  well  to 
give  an  entire  course  in  laundry  work. 


64  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

LESSON    XIV 

THIS  lesson  is  devoted  to  the  cooking  and  serving  of 
a  simple  dinner.  Each  class  should  decide  for  itself  what 
shall  be  cooked,  the  teacher  deciding  the  price.  The 
proper  amount  of  food  value  must  be  considered. 

The  teacher  should  take  note  of  the  order  and  tidiness 
of  the  kitchen  during  the  preparation  of  the  meal ;  of  the 
setting  of  the  table;  and  of  the  scraping  and  piling  of 
dishes  after  dinner  (as  well  as  after  each  course).  Dish- 
washing and  other  kitchen  work  must  be  done  perfectly; 
the  dining-room  also  must  be  left  clean  and  orderly.  The 
last  thing  is  to  see  that  the  fire  is  raked  down  and  left  for 
a  slow,  all-night  fire. 

This  last  dinner  lesson  will  show  teacher  and  pupils 
how  much  of  the  year's  instruction  is  really  well  known, 
and  whether  the  class  is  ready  for  a  final  examination. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  EXAMINATIONS 

For  children  under  thirteen  years  of  age  a  demon- 
stration examination  is  often  preferable  to  a  written  or 
oral  test.  Write  on  slips  of  paper  the  names  of  a  number 
of  occupations  which  have  been  taught  in  class.  Allow 
each  child  to  draw  a  slip  and  to  perform  the  allotted  task 
without  assistance,  the  teacher  making  note  of  every 
mistake.  Beginning  with  one  hundred,  each  mistake  may 
take  off  five,  or  a  slight  error  should  count  but  one  off. 

Demonstration  Test 

Task  i.  Set  out  everything  necessary  for  making 
cocoa;  arrange  kitchen  table;  see  that  draught,  damper, 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  65 

and  check  are  right  for  hot  fire.  Tell  how  cocoa  is 
made. 

Task  2.     Wash  kitchen  table  and  clean  sink  with  soda. 

Task  j.     Wash  out  bread  box;  wash  out  ice  box. 

Task  4.  Take  bed  apart  as  for  morning  airing. 
Make  bed. 

Task  5.     Explain  how  to  clean  bed  for  bedbugs. 

Task  6.  Show  how  you  take  rust  from  iron.  Show 
how  you  clean  tin. 

Task  7.  Dust  the  front  room  as  you  would  each 
morning. 

Task  8.  Show  how  you  clean  the  stove  each  morn- 
ing. Fix  draught,  check,  and  damper  for  starting  fire. 

Fix  draught,  check,  and  damper  as  you  would  after 
fire  is  started. 

Fix  draught,  check,  and  damper  to  keep  fire  all  night. 

Task  p.  Set  table  for  four;  clear  dishes  and  pile  as 
for  washing. 

Task  10.  Tell  what  is  needed  for  washing  dishes 
and  how  it  should  be  done. 

Task  ii.  Show  how  kitchen  closet  should  be  thor- 
oughly cleaned. 

Task  12.  Show  how  bread  box  should  be  washed; 
how  kept  from  smelling  musty. 

Task  13.     Clean  silver.     Clean  brass. 

Task  14.  Cover  ironing  board  and  put  in  proper 
place  everything  necessary  for  ironing. 

Task  15.     Give  lamp  a  thorough  cleaning. 

Examination  Questions 

i.     If  you  were  furnishing  a  flat,  what  would  you  do 
with  the  floors? 


66  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

2.  What  kind  of  furniture  would  you  have  in  the 

kitchen  ? 

3.  What  kind  would  you  have  in  the  parlor? 

4.  What  kind  of  beds  would  you  buy? 

5.  Why  not  wooden  beds? 

6.  What  curtains  are  best? 

7.  How  would  you  ask  the  landlord  to  decorate  the 

walls  of  your  flat? 

8.  If  you  wish  to  bathe  in  a  room  where  there  are 

other  people,  how  can  you  arrange  it? 

9.  What  do  you  do  with  damper,  draught,  and  check 

before  lighting  fire? 

10.  When  fire  is  well  started  and  you  want  a  hot  oven, 

how  should  draught  and  damper  be? 

11.  When  stove  gets  red-hot,  how  do  you  cool  it  off? 

12.  When  you  want  fire  to  last  over  night,  what  should 

you  do? 

13.  How  can  the  wrong  use  of  draught  and  damper 

waste  coal? 

14.  Why  is  it  better  to  poke  a  fire  than  to  shake  it? 

15.  How  often  and  when  do  you  black  the  stove? 

1 6.  If  oven  door  is  hot  or  dish  in  oven  is  hot,  what 

do  you  use  to  handle  it  with? 

17.  How  often  and  when  do  you  wash  dish  towels? 

1 8.  How   do  you   keep   a  tin   dishpan   from  getting 

rusty  ? 

19.  What  will  take  the  rust  from  an  iron  sink? 

20.  What  is  washing  soda  for? 

21.  In  cleaning  a  kitchen  thoroughly,  do  you  clean  the 

main  part  of  kitchen  first  and  then  closets, 
or  closets  first? 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  6/ 

22.  What  would  be  the  result  if  you  put  things  back 

in  closet  before  shelves  were  dry? 

23.  Why  do  we  use  glass  jars  for  dry  groceries? 

24.  If  the  wood  of  the  closet  smells,  what  do  you  add 

to  washing  water  ? 

25.  If  you  have  a  wooden  pail  or  box  to  wash  out, 

where  should  you  not  put  it  to  dry  ? 

26.  What  is  kerosene  good  for? 

27.  If  you  find  cockroaches,  how  get  rid  of  them? 

28.  Where  should  you  keep  left-over  food,  such  as 

milk  or  butter? 

29.  How  keep  milk  from  getting  sour? 

30.  How  often  should  ice  box  be  cleaned,  and  how? 

31.  How  can  you  keep  a  garbage  can  sweet  and  with- 

out smell? 

32.  How  do  you  take  rust  from  iron  saucepan? 

33.  How  would  you  wash  and  wipe  saucepan  that  had 

been  darkened  on  the  bottom  by  the  stove? 

34.  How  must  coffeepot  be  cleaned? 

35.  How  do  you  wash  windows? 

36.  What  is  the  best  mattress  for  a  bed? 

37.  What  mattress  is  cheaper,  but  still  good? 

38.  Why  is  a  feather  bed  unhealthful? 

39.  How  often  should  you  turn  the  mattress? 

40.  How  long  should  a  sheet  be  to  tuck  in  well  ? 

41.  Why  do  we  use  a  pad  between  the  mattress  and 

the  sheet  ? 

42.  What  do  you  wash  the  bed  with  to  prevent  bed- 

bugs? 

43.  What    do    you    use    if    bugs    are    found    in    the 

bed? 


68  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

44.  What  is  necessary  to  do  to  a  room  in  cleaning  it 

every  morning? 

45.  What  is  the  best  kind  of  dusting  cloth? 

46.  When  should  a  dry  duster  be  used? 

47.  When  should  a  damp  duster  be  used? 

48.  Is  it  good  to  use  a  feather  duster?    Why  not? 

49.  When  must  windows  be  opened? 

50.  How  must  windows  be  opened? 

51.  When  do  you  air  the  dining-room? 

52.  When  do  you  dust  the  dining-room? 

53.  When  do  you  brush  up  under  the  table? 

54.  When  do  you  open  the  damper,  close  check,  and 

open  the  draught? 
When  do  you  close  damper,  open  draught,  and 

close  check? 
When  do  you  close  damper,  close  draught,  and 

open  check? 

Why  do  you  lay  a  fire  lightly? 
When  and  how  often  do  you  polish  the  top  of  a 

stove  ? 

55.  How   would   you   keep   rust   from   iron   and   tin 

kitchen  utensils? 
How  would  you  remove  rust  from  an  iron  kettle? 

56.  What  should  the  temperature   of   water  be   for 

washing  dishes? 

57.  What  is  the  result  if  food  is  returned  to  closet 

before  closet  is  dry? 

58.  In  airing  a  room,  why  do  we  open  the  windows 

top  and  bottom? 

59.  What  care  do  we  give  windows  every  morning? 

60.  What   makes   the   covers   of   a   stove   warp   and 

crack  ? 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  69 

61.  What  would  you  do  with  a  very  greasy  pot  or 

kettle  if  washing  it  in  hot  water  is  not  suffi- 
cient to  remove  the  grease? 

62.  Why   is    it    necessary   to    flush   the   water-closet 

thoroughly  ? 

63.  What  causes  sewer  gas? 

64.  Why  is  it  wrong  to  clean  a  bathtub  with  even  a 

fine  sand  soap? 

65.  Why  is  it  bad  to  use  a  linty  cloth  in  the  cleaning 

of  a  bathroom? 

66.  If  weather  is  cold,  how  can  you  prevent  water 

freezing  while  washing  windows? 

67.  Give   the   order   of    work    for   weekly   cleaning, 

beginning  with  the  drawers. 

68.  Give  the  order  of  morning  work  in  a  bedroom, 

beginning  with  the  removing  of  the  bed- 
clothes. 

69.  How  do  you  wash  chamber  in  order  to  free  it 

from  all  odor? 

70.  Why  is  it  well  to  have  few  woolen  tablecloths, 

few  useless  fancy  ornaments,  and  no  stuffed 
chairs  ? 

71.  If  you  haven't  money  for  meat,  what  food  will 

take  its  place? 

72.  For  a  family  of  six  in  three  rooms,  how  much 

coal  would  you  use  a  month? 

73.  Where  would  you  keep  wood  and  paper? 

74.  Why  is  it  necessary  to  clean  out  wood  box  often? 

75.  What  is  the  danger  if  water-closet  is  not  kept 

clean  ? 

76.  What   are    the    diseases   that    might   have    been 

prevented  by  air  and  sun  in  the  house? 


7O  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

77.  What  will  prevent  consumption? 

78.  What  is  the  danger  in  dirt  and  dust? 

79.  How  does  so  much  dirt  and  dust  get  into  our 

houses  ? 

80.  What  sours  milk? 

81.  How  much  water  should  we  drink  each  day? 

82.  Why  drink  water  ? 

83.  What  makes  garbage  can  smell  bad? 

84.  What  is  kerosene  good  for? 
What  are  ashes  good  for? 
What  is  soda  good  for? 
What  is  ammonia  good  for? 

After  pupils  have  been  graduated  from  the  House- 
work Courses,  special  classes  are  formed  in  cooking  and 
serving  dinners ;  or  a  Home  Nursing  Course,  to  be  con- 
ducted by  a  trained  nurse,  if  possible,  is  very  useful. 

Dinner  Class 

A  dinner  class  consists  only  of  children  who  have 
satisfactorily  passed  the  first  and  second  courses. 

The  pupils  in  the  class  meet  once  a  week. 

They  arrive  about  five  o'clock,  make  out  the  menu  for 
dinner  (being  allowed  so  many  cents  for  each  person) 
according  to  their  knowledge  of  food  values.  They  do 
the  marketing  as  well  as  the  preparation  of  the  meal. 
During  the  eating  of  dinner,  work  should  be  forgotten, 
but  when  the  social  part  is  over  the  " cleaning  up"  must 
be  done  well. 

It  is  better  to  have  the  menu  for  the  next  week's 
dinner  decided  upon  at  the  end  of  the  preceding  week's 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  /I 

lesson.  Eight  or  ten  cents  is  a  fair  amount  to  allow  for 
each  person.  At  these  dinners  a  guest — the  mother  of 
one  of  the  girls  or  the  school-teacher — is  an  inspiration 
to  do  good  work. 

General  Schedule  of  "Work  for  the  Nursing  Classes 

Lesson  i 

The  human  body  and  the  relation  of  its  parts. 
Ethics  of  home  nursing. 
Choice  and  care  of  sick  room. 

Lesson  2 
Beds  and  bedmaking  as  related  to  the  sick. 

Lesson  j 

Appliances  for  the  use  of  helpless  patients. 
General  care  of  a  bed  patient. 

Lesson  4 
The  bed  bath. 

Lesson  5 

The  use  of  injections :  how  prepared  and  administered. 
External    applications :    poultices,    use    of    ice,    com- 
presses, etc. 

Lesson  6 
Emergencies. 

Lesson  J 

Special   diseases:   tuberculosis,   typhoid   fever,   pneu- 
monia. 

Lesson  8 
Nursing  of  convalescents;  invalid  cooking. 


72  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 


Notes  on  lesson  given  by  trained  nurse  to  children 

of  fourteen  or  fifteen,  who  have  some  care  of 

their  little  brothers  and  sisters 

Get  everything  ready  for  the  bath  before  undressing 
the  baby. 

See  that  the  room  is  very  warm,  warmer  than  a 
grown  person  would  feel  necessary. 

If  the  room  cannot  be  made  warm,  have  hot  water 
bag  in  lap  under  the  blanket  to  give  warmth  to  the  baby. 

In  undressing  a  child  have  a  separate  place  for  the 
wet  diapers. 

No  matter  how  small  the  baby  is,  teach  it  to  use  a 
chamber.  Do  this  always  after  the  baby's  nap  and  just 
before  the  bath. 

Remember  that  if  a  baby  cries,  there  is  some  reason 
for  its  crying. 

Never  give  it  a  pacifier.  This  makes  the  baby's 
mouth  sore  and  is  simply  a  makeshift. 

Very  often  a  baby  cries  because  it  is  wet.  Never  let 
a  baby  stay  wet,  either  in  its  bed  or  in  its  carriage. 

Never  speak  loudly  to  a  small  baby,  or  scare  it  in  any 
way,  as  it  is  very  sensitive. 

It  frightens  a  baby  to  wash  its  face  in  cold  water,  or 
to  let  cold  water  run  down  its  back.  In  washing  a  baby's 
face,  dry  it  quickly. 

Never  give  a  baby  candy. 

In  dressing  a  baby,  use  the  Sloane  dress,  where  every- 
thing hangs  from  the  shoulders.  The  dress  should  never 
be  more  than  twenty-seven  inches  long,  even  for  a  small 
baby. 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  73 

In  bathing  a  baby,  wash  the  face  and  head  first.  Soap 
the  body  before  putting  the  child  into  the  bath.  The  best 
way  to  wash  a  baby  is  to  bathe  it  on  a  table,  first  putting 
a  blanket  on  the  table  and  a  bath  towel  over  the  baby. 
Have  the  water  for  the  bath  hotter  when  you  put  it  in 
than  you  will  need  it  for  the  child,  as  there  is  always 
delay  between  getting  the  bath  ready  and  the  time  the 
baby  actually  goes  into  the  tub.  When  you  are  ready  to 
put  the  baby  in,  try  the  water  with  your  bared  elbow ; 
if  it  is  not  too  hot  for  your  elbow,  it  is  not  too  hot  for 
the  baby. 

THE    LAYETTE 

Clothes  for  the  Young  Baby 

Purchase  a  doll  the  size  of  a  baby  and  have  the  class 
make  for  it  the  clothes  necessary  for  a  baby. 

A  baby  does  not  need  a  lot  of  expensive,  useless 
things,  but  only  enough  to  keep  it  warm,  fresh,  and 
dainty. 

The  clothes  should  be  made  out  of  inexpensive 
materials,  rather  than  purchased  ready-made,  for  clothes 
made  by  hand  give  better  value  for  the  money  expended, 
and  they  will  last  longer.  Of  course,  goods  of  better 
quality  wear  longer,  if  they  can  be  afforded.  Baby's 
clothes  should  be  extremely  simple,  never  overtrimmed. 

Necessities  for  a  baby : 

4  flannel  bands 
3  flannel  shirts 
2  flannel  skirts 
2  white  skirts 


74  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

2  or  3  dresses 

3  night-slips 

A  number  of  diapers 

(from  one  to  three  dozen) 
i  cap  and  coat 

A  baby's  bands,  shirts,  dresses,  and  stockings  (when 
he  is  big  enough  to  wear  stockings)  should  be  washed 
every  day.  No  starch,  bluing,  or  soap  powders  should 
be  used,  especially  in  washing  the  diapers,  as  they  chafe 
and  poison  the  skin  of  a  small  infant. 

The  flannels  have  to  be  washed  with  care  to  prevent 
shrinking.  All  flannels  should  be  washed  and  rinsed  in 
tepid  water.  (See  Laundry  Lesson.)  Have  the  water 
the  same  temperature  throughout.  The  flannels  should 
be  carefully  dried,  not  near  a  fire.  They  should  be 
stretched  into  shape  before  being  left  to  dry. 
Materials  for : 

I.  Dress — 27  inches  wide,  2^  yards;  36  inches  wide, 
2  yards. 

II.  Nightgown  or  night-slip — 27  inches,  2^  yards ; 
36  inches,  2J/6  yards. 

III.  Skirt — Flannel,  2  yards ;  cambric  or  nainsook, 
2  yards. 

IV.  Band — £4  vard  flannel  for  four  (4)  bands. 

V.  Diaper — i8-inch,  i  yard  makes  I  diaper;  2O-inch, 
10  yards  make  9  diapers  ;  24-inch,  4  yards  make  3  diapers. 

VI.     Merino  shirts. 

I.     Band. 

A  small  baby  always  wears  a  flannel  or  knitted  band 
as  a  safeguard  against  rupture  (or  as  a  support  to  its 


HOUSEKEEPING    COURSE  75 

little  body)  and  for  warmth.  Bands  should  be  made  of 
fine  white  flannel  (three-quarters  of  a  yard  will  make  four 
bands). 

Bands  may  be  cut  and  the  goods  left  with  raw  edges 
so  that  the  bands  will  stretch,  or  they  may  be  torn  straight 
across  the  goods.  Make  them  six  inches  wide  and  eight- 
een inches  long. 

II.  Shirts. 

The  baby  should  have  at  least  three  all-wool  or  wool- 
and-flannel  shirts. 

Merino  shirts  are  best.  Do  not  get  the  first  size,  as  the 
baby  outgrows  them  too  soon.  The  second  size  will  fit 
for  a  long  time. 

III.  Pinning  Blanket. 

This  is  not  necessary,  and  it  prevents  the  baby  from 
using  his  feet  freely. 

IV.  Flannel  Petticoat. 

In  dressing  baby,  the  band  goes  on  first,  then  the 
shirt  and  diaper  (which  must  be  pinned  loosely),  then 
the  flannel  petticoat.  There  are  several  ways  of  making 
these  petticoats.  The  Gertrude  or  Chemise  skirts  are  the 
best,  especially  in  cold  weather,  as  they  bring  flannel  up 
over  the  baby's  chest.  Ordinarily  petticoats  are  made 
on  muslin  bands.  This  skirt  is  not  open  back  or  front, 
but  fastens  on  the  shoulders  with  buttons  and  button- 
holes or  tape  or  baby  ribbon.  This  may  be  finished  by 
buttonholed  scallops  around  the  neck  and  arms;  or  it 
may  be  featherstitched,  or  hemmed.  The  bottom  may 
be  finished  in  the  same  way,  hemmed  and  featherstitched, 
or  buttonholed. 


76  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

V.  White  Petticoat. 

Use  soft-finished  muslin,  cambric,  or  nainsook.  It  may 
be  made  in  princess  style  and  finished  at  the  neck  and 
sleeve-edges  with  narrow  bias  bands  of  the  material.  The 
bottom  may  be  finished  with  a  hem,  or  lace,  or  an  em- 
broidery ruffle.  These  skirts  may  be  gathered  on  muslin 
bands  or  bodies  at  the  top.  They  should  be  made  by 
hand,  with  French  seams. 

VI.  Slips. 

The  baby  should  have  day-slips,  and  either  night-slips 
or  nightgowns,  made  of  soft-finished  white  cambric. 
These  are  made  perfectly  plain,  and  finished  with  a  nar- 
row lace  frill  at  the  edges  of  neck  and  sleeves  and  a  plain 
hem  at  the  bottom. 

Nightgowns  should  be  made  of  cambric,  wool,  flan- 
nel-and-wool,  and  cotton  flannel. 

Day-slips  may  be  finished  with  featherstitching  and 
made  of  finer  materials — cambric,  nainsook,  batiste,  or 
striped  or  crossbar  dimity. 

VII.  Dresses. 

The  main  difference  between  a  dress  and  a  day-slip 
is  that  the  dress  is  made  of  finer  material  and  after  a  more 
elaborate  pattern.  Little  French  dresses  are  the  daintiest, 
trimmed  with  featherstitching  or  French  knots.  They 
are  made  entirely  by  hand  and  of  soft  material,  and 
finished  with  a  plain  hem  at  the  bottom.  Baby  dresses 
should  not  be  trimmed  with  rosettes  and  ribbons. 

VIII.  Diapers. 

Diapers  may  be  made  from  a  number  of  materials. 
Bird's-eye  linen  is  excellent,  so  are  cotton  diaper  cloth 


HOUSEKEEPING   COURSE  77 

and  different  kinds  of  flannelette.  Cut  each  diaper  twice 
the  length  of  the  width  and  finish  each  end  with  a  narrow 
hem.  Diapers  should  be  of  three  different  sizes  and  made 
from  eighteen,  twenty,  and  twenty-four  inch  materials. 
They  should  be  washed  with  good,  pure  soap  and  not 
ironed.  Never  use  washing  powders  or  bluing  in  laun- 
dering. 


COURSE    III 
Cooking  Course 


The  holder  of  this  card  can  make : 

1.  Cocoa. 

2.  Baking  Powder  Biscuit. 

3.  Cream  Sauce. 

4.  Two  Cream  Soups. 

^         _  ,  ,r          i  i       (  One  Strong 

5.  Two  Creamed  Vegetables  j  Qne  MM* 

Creamed. 

Fried. 

6.  Potatoes      Boj,ed 

Mashed. 

7.  Cereals. 

8.  Split  Pea  Soup. 

9.  Meat  and  Vegetable  Stew. 

,r  0  (  with  and 

10.  Vegetable  Soup       {  without  Meat 

11.  Baked  Beans. 

12.  Plain  Cake. 

13.  Muffins. 

14.  Bread  Pudding. 

15.  Rice  Pudding. 

16.  Fish  Chowder. 

17.  Clam  Chowder 

1 8.  Scotch  Broth. 

19.  Shepherd  Pie. 

(  Soup. 

20.  Macaroni    <  with  Tomato. 

(  Cheese. 
78 


COOKING    COURSE  79 


(  Soup. 

21.  Rice    |  Omelet. 

(  Baked  with  Cheese. 

22.  Lima  Beans  (dried). 

0  ,    «      (  French  dressing  and 
23-     Salads    |  Boiled  dressing 

24.  Cookies. 

25.  Pie. 

26.  Stewed  Dried  Fruits. 

27.  Toast. 

Stale-bread  and 


28.  Griddle  Cakes    ,  Sour 

(  Omelet. 

29.  Eggs   |  Scrambled. 

(  Boiled. 

30.  Canned  Fruits. 

31.  Coffee  and  Tea. 


RECIPES 

Cocoa  for  Six 

12  teaspoons  sugar  3  cups  water 

12  teaspoons    cocoa  3  cups  milk 

Scald  milk.  Mix  sugar  and  cocoa  together  in  a  little 
cold  milk  or  water.  Add  to  this  the  boiling  water;  boil 
2  or  3  minutes  and  add  it  to  the  scalded  milk.  Beat  with 
egg  beater  just  before  serving  to  prevent  scum. 

Milk  and  Cinnamon  Tea  for  Children 

Take  milk  from  fire  just  before  it  comes  to  boiling 
point;  sweeten  with  sugar  and  flavor  with  a  pinch  of 
cinnamon. 


8O  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

SOUPS 

Soups  have  practically  no  food  value  excepting  when 
cereals  or  dried  vegetables  (such  as  peas,  beans,  etc.)  or 
milk  are  added. 

The  following  recipes  are  for  cheap,  nourishing 
soups  only.  The  quantity  is  enough  for  six  persons. 

Rice  Soup 

^4  cup  rice  J^  onion 

2,  teaspoons  salt  Piece  salt  pork 

Pepper  Ham  bone 

Wash  the  rice  and  boil  until  it  is  soft.  Boil  all  the 
ingredients  together  with  8  cups  of  water.  Put  through 
strainer;  add  I  cup  milk  (water  can  be  added  instead). 
Serve  with  parsley  and  croutons. 

Green  Pea  Soup 

Wash  2.  cups  dried  green  peas;  soak  over  night  in 
water.  Drain  off  water  and  put  to  boil  in  2.  quarts  of 
water  with  salt.  Boil  at  least  2,  hours.  Take  2  table- 
spoons butter,  y2  onion,  chopped,  2  tablespoons  chopped 
celery,  pepper  and  salt  to  taste.  Fry  until  onion  is  brown, 
add  to  the  peas,  and  serve;  add  more  boiling  water  if 
too  thick. 

Split  Pea  Soup 

1^2  cups  dried  split  peas  2.^/2   quarts  cold  water 

y2  onion  (add    more    water    if    too 

2  teaspoons  salt  thick  after  straining) 

Yz  teaspoon  pepper  Ham  bone  or  ham  ends,  or 

small  piece  of  pork 


COOKING   COURSE  8l 

Wash  peas;  soak  over  night  in  cold  water.  Cook 
with  pork  and  onion  slowly  for  2  hours  or  more,  or 
until  soft;  put  through  a  sieve.  Add  ham  chopped 
fine,  salt  and  pepper.  A  little  celery  chopped  or  celery 
salt  gives  a  good  flavor. 

Bean  Soup 

2  cups  beans  3  teaspoons   salt 

]/4  teaspoon  pepper  i  onion 

4  stalks  celery  3  quarts  cold  water 

Soak  beans  over  night ;  put  on  the  stove  in  cold  water ; 
let  boil  3  hours.  Then  put  in  salt,  pepper,  celery,  and 
onion;  boil  for  at  least  an  hour.  Strain,  serve  hot. 

Tomato  Soup 

i  can  tomatoes  2  teaspoons    sugar 

I  pint  water  i  teaspoon  salt 

Bits  of  bay  leaves  j/8  teaspoon  soda 

4  cloves  2  tablespoons  butter 

i  slice  onion  3  tablespoons  flour 

Cook  the  first  six  ingredients  20  minutes ;  strain, 
add  salt  and  soda.  Bind  with  the  flour  and  butter,  first 
rubbed  well  together,  and  after  boiling  all  together  for 
a  very  few  minutes,  strain  into  the  serving  dish. 

Turnip  Soup 

2  turnips      cut     in     small     %  pound  bacon 
pieces  J^  onion  chopped  fine 

Add  thyme,  salt,  and  pepper  to  taste;  fry  onion  and 
bacon  together  until  a  light  brown;  boil  turnip  for  i 
hour;  add  onion  and  bacon.  Mix  bacon  fat,  strain  and 


82  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

mash  through  colander.    Return  to  boiler  and  add  I  cup 
of  sweet  milk  thickened  with  I  tablespoon  flour. 

Fish  Chowder 

2  pounds  fresh  fish  i  pint  milk 

3  large  potatoes  8  hard  crackers 

i  large  onion  Pepper,  salt,  butter 

Cut  fish,  potatoes,  and  onions  into  slices.  Put  the 
butter  and  onions  into  a  pan  and  fry  them  lightly.  Place 
in  alternate  layers  in  a  large  saucepan — first  potatoes, 
then  fish,  then  onions.  Dust  with  salt  and  pepper,  and 
continue  in  this  order  until  all  the  materials  are  used. 

Cover  the  whole  with  boiling  water  and  let  the  mix- 
ture simmer  for  20  minutes. 

Scald  pint  of  milk.  Take  it  from  fire  and  add  1^/2 
tablespoons  of  butter  and  3  (or  6)  broken  crackers. 

Arrange  fish  mixture  in  dish,  cover  with  softened 
crackers,  and  over  the  whole  pour  the  hot  milk. 

Corn  Chowder 

y2  pound  salt  pork  i  can  corn 

y2  onion  Flour,   i  tablespoon 

2  cups  water  Salt 

i  quart  milk  Pepper 

Potatoes,  i  pound 

Cut  the  pork  into  small  squares,  put  in  pan  to  brown ; 
take  out  squares  of  pork  (saving  the  fat),  and  put  them 
into  stock  kettle ;  add  chopped  onion  and  water ;  cook  for 
y2  hour.  Now  add  potatoes  (cut  in  small  pieces).  Add 
salt,  pepper,  and  corn ;  cook  until  potatoes  are  soft.  Cook 
the  pork  fat  with  the  flour;  add  to  chowder.  At  the 


COOKING    COURSE  83 

last  add  milk,  and  remove  when  it  comes  to  the  boiling 
point. 

Mutton  Broth  with  Barley 

Neck  or  shoulder  pieces  may  be  used  for  broth. 
\y2  pounds  mutton  3  tablespoons  barley 

2  quarts  water  Salt,  pepper 

Celery 

Cook  mutton  the  day  before ;  remove  fat  when  cold. 
Cook  barley  in  separate  water  for  i  hour,  adding  to 
stock  and  cooking  until  soft.  Chop  mutton  fine  and 
add  to  soup ;  add  salt,  pepper,  and  chopped  celery. 

Potato  Soup 

5  potatoes  (good  size)  Pepper 

2  cups  milk  or  i  teaspoon   salt 

2  cups  water  4  cups  milk 

i  teaspoon  chopped  onions     i  tablespoon  flour 

A  little  chopped  parsley         i  tablespoon   drippings 

Pare  or  wash  potatoes;  cook  until  soft.  Cook  onion 
in  the  milk.  When  potatoes  are  soft,  drain  off  the  water ; 
mash ;  add  the  milk  and  seasoning.  Rub  through  strainer 
flour  and  drippings  together ;  when  thoroughly  mixed 
and  hot,  add  to  soup.  Boil  all  together  5  minutes. 


DISHES  THAT   HAVE  MUCH   FOOD  VALUE 

AND    CAN    BE    USED    IN    THE 

PLACE    OF    MEAT 

Baked  Split  Peas  and  Bacon 

Wash  yellow  split  peas,  cover  with  cold  water,  bring 
slowly  to  boiling  point,  and  simmer  gently  until  tender. 


84  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

Evaporate  cooking  water  toward  last  of  process.  Turn 
peas  into  baking  dish ;  lay  thin  slices  of  bacon  across  top 
of  peas.  Bake  in  moderate  oven  till  bacon  is  crisp  and  a 
delicate  brown. 

Carrots  and  Peas 

Cut  up  carrots  and  boil 

Cook  peas  as  for  puree 

Serve  puree  on  hot,  cooked  carrots 

Baked  Rice  and  Tomato  with  Cheese 

I  cup  rice  2  tablespoons   oil   or   drip- 

i  pint  tomatoes  pings 

Onion  2  tablespoons  grated 

T/2  red  pepper  Roman  cheese 

Salt 

Cook  rice  in  boiling  water  with  salt  I  hour ;  drain  off 
water  and  pour  over  whole  tomato  mixture,  which  has 
been  cooked  separately  for  I  hour  or  more;  sprinkle 
Roman  cheese  on  top.  Bake  until  brown  on  top. 

CHEAP   WAYS    OF    COOKING    MEATS 

Beef  Rolls 

2  pounds  round  or  rump  steak  y2  inch  thick 

1  pint  bread  crumbs 

2  tablespoons  chopped  salt  pork 
Salt  and  pepper 

YZ  cup  sliced  carrots 

1  small  onion 

2  cups  strained  tomatoes 

Cut  steak  into  strips  4  by  2  inches 


COOKING   COURSE  85 

Mix  together  bread  crumbs  and  chopped  pork;  sea- 
son with  salt  and  pepper.  (Moisten  with  milk  if  neces- 
sary.) Spread  pieces  of  steak  with  crumbs;  roll  and  tie. 
Dredge  rolls  with  flour,  salt  and  pepper.  Melt  2  tea- 
spoons beef  drippings  in  pan.  Add  onion  and  carrots — 
sear  rolls.  Place  in  baking  pan  with  browned  vegetables ; 
pour  hot,  strained  tomato  over  it,  and  add  2  cups  boiling 
water.  Cook  in  slow  oven  y2  hour. 

Meat  and  Vegetable  Pie 

2  pounds  round  or  shoulder  of  beef,  chopped  fine 

i  pound  potatoes,  sliced  thin 

y?.  pound  or  2  good-sized  carrots,  sliced  thin 

I  onion,  chopped  fine 

Boil  meat  for  about  2  hours ;  add  potatoes  and  car- 
rots ;  boil  for  ^2  hour  more,  drain  off  liquor,  mix  2  table- 
spoons flour  with  a  little  cold  water,  thicken  meat  stock 
with  this;  pour  half  this  gravy  over  the  meat  and  vege- 
tables, which  have  been  put  in  baking  dish;  cover  with  a 
crust. 

(Recipe  for  crust) 

2  cups  of  flour  4  teaspoons  baking  powder 

i  teaspoon  lard  i  tablespoon  butter 

I  cup  milk 

Mix  dry  ingredients  and  sift  twice;  cut  in  butter 
and  lard  with  a  knife.  Add  gradually  the  milk,  mixing 
with  knife  to  a  soft  dough  (more  milk  may  be  needed)  ; 
toss  on  a  floured  board  and  roll  lightly  to  j/2  inch  in 
thickness;  cover  meat  and  vegetable  dish  with  this  crust 
and  bake  in  oven.  Use  the  half  of  gravy  still  remaining 
to  pour  over  pie  when  serving. 


86  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

Kidney  Stew 

i  pound  kidney  i  small  onion 

I  teaspoon  lemon  juice  i  cup  cooked  tomatoes 

Little  suet 

Soak  kidney  over  night  in  salt  water;  try  out  suet; 
brown  kidney  and  onion  in  tried-out  suet;  add  water  (just 
a  little),  lemon,  salt,  pepper,  and  tomatoes. 

BREADS    AND    MUFFINS 

Corn  Bread 

To  i  can  chopped  corn  add  2  eggs,  slightly  beaten, 

1  teaspoon   salt,    ^    teaspoon   pepper,    i]/2    tablespoons 
melted  butter,  and  i  pint  scalded  milk ;  turn  into  dish  and 
bake  in  slow  oven  until  firm. 

Spider  Corn  Cake 

1  cup  corn  meal  (scant)  i  egg 

3  tablespoons  white  flour  l/2  cup  sour  milk 

2  tablespoons  sugar  y2  cup  sweet  milk 
y2  teaspoon  salt  y±  teaspoon  soda 
Dissolve  soda  in  sour  milk.  Mix  dry  ingredients  to- 
gether; pour  liquid  over  them.  Butter  frying  pan  with 

2  tablespoons  butter.     Pour  in  mixture  with  y2  cup  of 
sweet  milk.    Bake  in  quick  oven  20  to  30  minutes. 

Graham  Muffins 

i  cup  Graham  flour  %  cup  sugar 

i  cup  white  flour  I  teaspoon  salt 

4  teaspoons  baking  powder  i  cup  milk 
i  teaspoon  melted  butter  i  egg 


COOKING   COURSE  87 

Bake   about   25    minutes.      Mix   as   in   other   muffin 
recipes. 

Queen  of  Muffins 

y±  cup  butter          J/£  cup  milk 

y$  cup  sugar  il/2  cups  flour 

i  egg  2^2  teaspoons  baking  powder 

Bake  25  to  30  minutes. 

Plain  Muffins 

Sift  together : 

1  cup  meal,  i  or  2  cups  flour 
l/2  teaspoon  salt 

$y2  teaspoons  baking  powder 

2  tablespoons  sugar 

Add  i  egg 

i%  CUPS  milk 

i  tablespoon  butter 

Bake  about  25  minutes. 

Drop  Muffins 

Sift  together  dry  ingredients : 
i  cup  flour 

il/2  teaspoons  baking  powder 
Y^  teaspoon  salt 

Add  i  tablespoon  melted  butter 
24  cup  milk 

Bake  in  hot  oven  about  20  minutes. 


88  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

Pop-overs 

i  cup  water,  I  cup  milk,  2  cups  flour.  Beat  "like 
mad"  with  egg  beater  for  15  minutes.  Heat  pans  very 
hot ;  put  butter  in  each. 

Bake  30  minutes  in  hot  oven. 


PUDDINGS    AND    CUSTARDS 

Chocolate  Bread  Pudding 

2  cups  stale-bread  crumbs        %  cup  sugar 
4  cups  scalded  milk  J4  teaspoon  salt 

2  squares  chocolate  i  teaspoon  vanilla 

2  eggs 

Soak  bread  crumbs  in  scalded  milk  J^  hour.  Melt 
chocolate  over  hot  water.  Add  sugar  and  enough  milk 
from  crumbs  to  make  mixture  thin  enough  to  pour.  Add 
this  to  bread  and  milk,  then  add  salt  and  vanilla  and 
finally  egg,  slightly  beaten.  Turn  into  buttered  baking 
dish  and  bake  in  moderate  oven  until  firm. 

Cornstarch  Pudding 

2  cups  milk  4  teaspoons  cocoa 

4  tablespoons  cornstarch  i  teaspoon  vanilla 

4  tablespoons  sugar 

Scald  milk.  Mix  cornstarch,  sugar,  and  cocoa  with 
hot  milk  to  paste.  Cook  until  thick,  stirring  constantly. 
Cool. 

Prune  Pudding 

Y-2  pound  prunes  2  tablespoons  butter 

Y-2.  loaf  bread  il/2  cups  sugar 


COOKING   COURSE  89 

Soak  prunes  over  night  in  2  quarts  water.  Boil  I 
hour  with  sugar ;  take  stones  out.  Put  liquid  on  and  boil 
down.  Butter  bread,  cut  up,  and  mix  with  prunes.  Bake 
about  Y-2  hour. 

Rice  Pudding 

4  cups  milk  Y$  cup  sugar 

Yz  CUP  rice  Y2  CUP  stoned  raisins 

J/2  teaspoon  salt 

Wash  rice;  boil  in  boiling  salt  water  for  about  15 
minutes;  drain  off  water;  add  milk,  sugar,  raisins;  pour 
into  buttered  pudding  dish  and  bake  in  slow  oven.  Boil- 
ing the  rice  first  saves  fuel,  as,  without  boiling,  it  will 
take  3  hours  to  bake  in  oven. 

Tapioca  Pudding 

Soak  a  cupful  of  tapioca  in  hot  water  for  6  hours. 
Add  sugar  to  taste  and  the  juice  and  grated  rind  of  half 
a  lemon.  Put  in  a  pudding  dish  and  cover  the  top  with 
sliced  apples.  Sprinkle  the  top  with  sugar  and  bake  for 
30  minutes. 

Bread  Tarts 

Cut  bread  into  slices  Y\  mcn  thick.  Cut  in  rounds 
with  biscuit  cutter.  Moisten  with  milk  (not  enough  to 
make  the  bread  fall  apart).  Spread  with  jam.  Place 
together  like  a  sandwich.  Place  in  frying  pan  with  but- 
ter ;  fry  on  both  sides ;  sprinkle  with  sugar.  Serve  hot. 

Chocolate  Junket 

I  quart  milk  i.  Junket  tablet 

Y-2.  cup  sugar  2  tablespoons  cocoa 

I  pinch  salt  I  teaspoon  vanilla 


90  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

Heat  milk  until  lukewarm;  add  sugar,  vanilla,  and 
cocoa;  when  sugar  is  dissolved,  add  tablet  dissolved  in 
cold  water.  Turn  into  small  molds  and  let  stand  in  a 
cool  place  until  firm. 

Vanilla  Ice  Cream 

4  cups  milk  Y^  cup  sugar 

il/2  tablespoons  vanilla 

Mix  and  freeze.  For  freezing  use  3  parts  of  ice  and 
i  part  of  salt. 

ITALIAN    RECIPES 
Beans  and  Posta 

l/2  pound  posta  i  tablespoon  chopped 

2  tablespoons  oil  or  onion 

drippings  l/2  red  pepper 

i  cup  or  y$  pound  beans      Little  salt 

Cook  beans  about  2  hours  after  soaking  over  night ; 
add  posta  and  let  cook  about  l/2  hour ;  heat  oil  in  sepa- 
rate saucepan  with  pepper,  onion,  and  salt.  Cook  l/2  hour 
and  mix  with  posta  and  beans. 

Macaroni  with  Tomato 

1  pound  macaroni  i  pint   can   tomatoes 

2  tablespoons  oil  or  i  green  pepper 
drippings                                 Salt 

i  tablespoon  onion 

Cook  tomato,  drippings,  pepper,  seasoning,  and  onion 
together  i  hour  slowly ;  cook  macaroni  in  boiling  water 
for  about  l/2  hour  or  until  soft;  drain  off  water  from 


COOKING   COURSE  QI 

macaroni,  and  pour  tomato  mixture  over  the  whole. 
y±  pound  store  cheese  can  be  added  to  the  hot  macaroni 
just  before  serving. 

Rice  and  Pea  Soup 

YZ  cup  rice 

i  cup  whole  dry  green  peas 

Cook  same  as  posta  and  beans. 

Lentils  and  Rice 

Put  lentils  to  soak  night  before ;  drain  off  water,  add 
lentils  to  fresh  boiling  water,  and  cook  until  soft.  Cook 
separately  2  tablespoons  drippings,  */2  chopped  small 
onion,  pepper  and  salt ;  cook  until  onion  is  soft ;  add 
2  tablespoons  chopped  celery  and  a  little  chopped  parsley 
and  cook  15  minutes;  add  this  to  lentils.  Now  add  rice, 
which  has  been  well  washed,  and  cook  for  5/2  hour. 

Dried  Lima  Beans 

J^  cup  dried  Lima  beans          l/2  pound  posta 
These  are  cooked  the  same  as  beans  and  posta.    Lima 
beans  may  be  used  with  rice  instead  of  posta. 

If  it  is  desired  to  have  the  lentils,  macaroni,  peas  and 
beans  more  of  a  soup  consistency,  the  water  is  not  drained 
off;  but  the  seasoning  sauce,  which  has  been  cooked  sep- 
arately, is  added  to  the  macaroni  after  it  has  cooked 
for  20  minutes,  the  whole  being  allowed  to  cook  for 
10  minutes  more. 

Polenta 

i  cup  corn  meal  I  cup  cooked  tomato 

2  tablespoons  oil  seasoning 


92  HOUSEKEEPING   NOTES 

Salt,  pepper,  and  garlic,  if  desired.  Cook  corn  meal 
in  boiling  water  and  salt  for  at  least  2  hours;  cook 
tomato,  oil  seasoning,  and  a  small  onion  for  at  least  I 
hour.  Italians  often  cook  tomatoes  for  2  hours  or  more, 
or  until  tomatoes  are  quite  thick.  Place  layer  of  hot  corn 
meal  in  dish,  then  layer  of  tomato  mixture,  more  corn 
meal  and  tomato  covering  whole.  Sprinkle  grated  cheese 
on  top. 

Rice  with  Tomato  and  Cheese 

i  cup  rice  and  tomato  sauce,  as  in  macaroni ;  2  table- 
spoons grated  cheese  (Roman  cheese  is  used  by  Italians). 
Cook  rice  in  boiling  water  for  J/£  hour;  drain  off  water, 
pour  tomato  mixture  on  the  rice,  and  just  before  serving 
sprinkle  grated  cheese  on  top. 

Rice  and  Beans 

Rice  and  beans  are  cooked  in  the  same  way  as  posta 
and  beans.  To  y*  cup  of  rice  and  ^  cup  of  beans  a  little 
garlic  is  usually  added  by  the  Italians  as  seasoning. 

Menestra 

Make  tomato  sauce  with  onion,  pepper,  oil,  salt,  and 
celery.  Cook  carrots,  cabbage,  potatoes,  and  greens. 
Add  tomato  sauce  to  cooked  vegetables. 


KOSHER   RECIPES 
Noodles  and  Cheese 

YZ  pound  noodles  ^2  pound  pot  cheese 

Butter  size  of  walnut  Salt  to  taste 


COOKING   COURSE  93 

Put  water  on  to  boil,  with  salt.  Cook  noodles  in  boil- 
ing water  about  J/£  hour.  Strain  off  water,  add  butter 
and  cheese  to  noodles  after  taking  from  fire.  Stir  before 
serving. 

Oatmeal  and  Potatoes 

i  pound  potatoes  Butter  size  of  walnut 

I  onion  Salt  to  taste 

J4  cup  oatmeal  I  cent's  worth  soup  greens 

Put  1^2  quarts  water  to  boil,  with  salt.  Cook  oatmeal 
in  boiling  salted  water  J4  of  an  hour.  Add  potatoes 
cut  in  cubes  and  boil  ^  hour  longer.  While  potatoes 
and  oatmeal  are  boiling,  fry  the  onion  in  the  butter 
with  the  chopped  soup  greens.  Add  this  to  potato  and 
oatmeal  mixture.  Season  to  taste. 

Noodles  and  Milk 

il/2  quarts  milk  y2  pound  noodles 

Salt  to  taste 

Cook  noodles  in  boiling  salted  water  until  soft.  Do 
not  strain  off  quite  all  of  the  water.  Add  boiling  milk 
just  before  serving.  Season  to  taste. 

Pea  Soup 

I  cup  dried  split  ]/2  pound  noodles 

peas  2  cents'  worth  soup  greens 

i  onion  Salt  to  taste 

Butter  size  of  walnut 

Soak  peas  over  night.  In  the  morning  boil  peas 
slowly  for  about  i  hour.  Fry  chopped  onion,  soup 
greens,  and  butter  together  in  a  frying  pan.  Add  to 


94  HOUSEKEEPING    NOTES 

cooked  peas  y2  pound  of  noodles  20  minutes  before  serv- 
ing.    Add  the  fried  onion  and  butter. 

Lima  Beans  and  Barley 

I  cup  dried  Lima  beans  J^  cup  barley 

i  onion  Butter  size  of  walnut 

Soup  greens  Salt  to  taste 

Cook  beans  2  hours,   add  barley,  and  cook   i   hour 

longer.    Add  fried  butter  and  onion  mixture,  as  in  recipe 

for  oatmeal  and  potatoes. 

White  Beans  and  Rice 

1  cup  white  beans  %  cup  rice 
Butter  size  of  walnut                 i  onion 

i  cent's  worth  soup  greens 

Cook  beans  2  hours,  add  rice  and  cook  for  20  min- 
utes longer.  Just  before  serving,  add  fried  butter, 
onion,  and  chopped  soup  greens  mixture,  as  in  recipe 
for  oatmeal  and  potatoes. 

Beans  and  Green  Peppers 

]/2  pound  red  kidney  beans 

2  peppers  ^  pound  cheese 
Cayenne  pepper  and  salt  to  taste 

Soak  beans  over  night.  In  the  morning,  cook  slowly 
for  i  hour.  Chop  peppers  and  cook  with  beans.  Just 
before  taking  from  fire,  add  cut-up  cheese  to  hot  beans 
and  peppers.  Serve  hot  on  toast. 


INDEX 


Alcohol   stain,    u 

Ants,   How  to   exterminate,   34 

Arrangement  of  model  flat,  9 

Baby,  Care  of  the,  72-77 
Baby,  Clothes  for  the,  73-77 
Bathing  the  baby,  72-73 
Bathroom,  Arrangement  of,    13 
Bathroom,  How  to  clean,  56,  57 
Bathtub,  Care  of,  56-57 
Bedbugs,  To   exterminate,  43 
Bedding,  42 

Bedroom,  Care  of,  42-53 
Brass,  Polishing  of,  52 
Bread  box,  Care  of,  37 
Breads  and  muffins,  86-88 
Breakfast,     How     to     cook     and 
serve,  48,  49 

Carrots  and  peas,  84 
Cereals,  How  to  cook,  24,  26 
Cereals,  Time-table  for,  25 
Class  work  in  housekeeping  cen- 
ters,  14 
Cleaning — a.  Kitchen  utensils,  34 

b.  Rooms,  33,  39,  50 

c.  Window  shelf,  35 

d.  Milk  bottles,  23 

e.  Ice  box,  36 
/.    Sink,  28 

g.  Bread  box,  37 

h.  Table,  26 

i.  Closets  (kitchen),  37 

j.    Woodwork,  40 

k.  Knives,  23 

/.    Brass,   52 

ra.  Silver,  52 

n.  Lamps,  54 

o.  Bathroom,  56 

p.  Stove,   1 8 


Cleaning  solution,   59 

Clearing  up  after  cooking,  32 

Closets,  How  to  clean,  33,  35~37 

Cloths  for  cleaning,  34 

Coal  box,  12 

Cockroaches,  30 

Cocoa,  How  to  make,  21 

Cocoa,  Recipe  for,  79 

Coffee,  How  to  make,  49 

Color  of  walls,  9 

Covering  for  couch,  12 

Curtains,   1 1 

Custards,  88-90 

Demonstration  test,  64-65 

Dining-room,    Care    of,    44-45 

Dining-room,  Cost  of  furnish- 
ing, 7-9 

Dinner  class,  70 

Dinner,  Cooking  and  serving 
of,  64 

Dish  towels,  Washing  of,  27 

Dishwashing,   22 

Dusting,  44,   51 

Examinations,  64-70 

Flatirons,  Care  of,  63 
Floor,   Scrubbing  of,  41 
Floors,   Staining  of,   10 
Furnishing  for  model  flat,  1-14 
Furnishing,  Suggestions  for,  9 
Furniture,      Dining     and     living 

room,  7-9 
Furniture,  Kitchen,   1—7 

Garbage  can,  Care  of,  30 

Gas,  53 

Gas  fixtures,   How   to   clean,   51, 

54 


95 


96 


INDEX 


Glass  jars,   12 

Housekeeper,  Duties  of,  24 
Hygiene,  Personal,  14 

Ice  box,  How  to  clean,  35-36 
Ironing,   62-63 
Ironware,  Care  of,  38 
Italian  dishes,  90-91 

Javelle  water,  59 

Kitchen,  Cleaning  of,  33-41 
Kitchen,  Cost  of  furnishing,   1-7 
Knives,  How  to  clean,  23 
Kosher  recipes,  92-94 

Lamps,  Cleaning  of,  54 
Laundry  work,  57-63 
Layette,  The,  73-77 
Little  mothers'  lessons,  72 
Living-room    furniture,    Cost   of, 

7-9 
Living-room,  How  to  clean,  50- 


Meats,    Inexpensive    cooking   of, 

84-86 

Milk  and  cinnamon  tea,  79 
Milk  bottles,  Cleaning  of,  23 
Morning  work,  44-46,  48-50 
Muffins,  86-88 


Polishing    brass,    silver,    and 

nickel,   51-52 
Puddings,  88-90 

Recipes,  79-94 

Refrigerator,  How  to  clean,  35- 

36 

Rice  and  tomatoes,  Baked,  84 
Rust,  How  to  remove,  34,  38 

Screen  for  bedroom,  12 

Scrubbing,  41 

Setting  the  table,  44 

Sewer  gas,  56-57 

Shelves,  Arrangement  of,   10,   II 

Shelves,  How  to  clean,  33 

Silk,  How  to  wash,  61 

Silver,  Polishing,   52-53 

Sink,  Cleaning  of,  28 

Sorting  clothes  for  the  wash,  57 

Soups,  80-83 

Spots,  To  remove,  58-59 

Stained  furniture,  n 

Stains,  To  remove,  58-59 

Stale  bread,  Griddle  cakes  made 

from,  28-30 
Starch,  60-6 i 

Stationary  tubs,  Care  of,  62 
Stove,  Care  of,   18-20 
Stove,  Price  of,  i 
Substitutes  for  meat,  83-84 
Sweeping,   50,  51 


Nickel,   Polishing  of,   53 
Nursing  classes,  Schedule  for,  71 

Oven,    Testing    temperature    of, 


Painted  walls,  9 

Peas  and  bacon,  Baked,  83 

Perishable  food,  Care  of,  35,  37 

Pictures,  13 

Plumbing,  Care  of,  56-57 


Table  in  kitchen,  How  to  clean, 

26 

Table  setting,  44 
Temperature  of  oven,  31 
Total   cost   of   furnishing   model 

flat,  9 
Trundle  bed,  12 

Utensils  for  cooking,  38 
Varnish  remover,  1 1 


INDEX  97 

Vermin,  How  to  exterminate,  30,  Washstand,  How  to  clean,  43 

34,  43  Waterbugs,   30 

Water-closet,  Care  of,  56-57 

Wall  cards,   14  Window  shade  in  kitchen,   10 

Wall  card  for  washing  dishes,  22  Window  shelf,   10 

Walls,   How  to  decorate,  9  Window  shelf,  How  to  clean,  36 

Wash  boiler,  Care  of,  62  Windows,  How  to  wash,  40 

Washing,  57-62  Woodenware,  Care  of,  34 

Washing,  Order  of  work,  60  Woodwork,   Cleaning  of,  40 
Washing  soda,  29 


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jQpn  A  />  -rtj-uv 

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n»  IN  u  o  jgg2 

AUTO  DISC. 

iAN  17  1992 

riRrULATlON 

oinv-'*'^'^ 

J/  r,!  02  l.q.97 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 
FORM  NO.  DD6,  40m,  3/78  BERKELEY,  CA  94720 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


